


Mirage Under the Mountains: Agartha Remnant Rewritten

by LeviMartine



Category: Fate/Grand Order, Fate/stay night & Related Fandoms, Fate/stay night - All Media Types
Genre: Agartha could have been so good if it wasn't written by a pervert, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Coping Mechanisms, Epic of Remnant: Pseudo-Singularity II - Agartha, F/M, Feminist Themes, Gen, Gender Issues, Gender-Neutral Pronouns, Genderfluid Character, I don't know what else to tag this, Implied Sexual Content, Intersex Character, Minase was a fucking mistake, Nonbinary Character, Other, Pre-Relationship, Psychological Trauma, Scheherazade deserved better, Spoilers, Trans Character, Trans Female Character, Unhealthy Relationships, fate/grand order spoilers
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-09-23
Updated: 2020-03-11
Packaged: 2020-10-26 11:01:07
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 25,635
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20741126
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LeviMartine/pseuds/LeviMartine
Summary: A revision of Agartha that isn't gross.In essence, Agartha could have been a really interesting story, because in a way it touched on some valid points about gender politics, but instead of being subversive it was turned into a redpill power fantasy (and had really gross/kinda r*pey implications to boot). So here's a version that will hopefully still have the same story impact and explore the idea of Agartha being a projection of Scheherazade's psyche, without making people viscerally uncomfortable.Shout out to http://agartharewritten.tumblr.com ! I cross-referenced between their cleaned-up summary and the original in order to compose this fan fiction, so I have to give credit where credit is due!





	1. A Contract Scribed with a Phoenix Feather

"_I have answered your summons, Master…"_

"_What is thy True Name, Servant of mine?"_

“_...I am Scheherazade, Caster-class Servant. By what means has a child summoned me to this dark place?"_

“_I am no child, but we are alike, O Caster. We both seek refuge from destruction. Thou, who avoided death through the art of telling stories. I, who avoids death by command of the one who gave me life. Our destinies shared in wishing not to be destroyed by kings and their whims."_

"_...that is correct, however, Master… I am no more than a narrator. I am lucky to have been spared, and am not suited to fighting. Do you still wish to have me at your command?"_

“_Worry not, O Queen of Shahryar. Thou underestimates thyself, for thine excellence in weaving great tales is of legendary caliber, thou speaketh vision into form and thus, we shall speak refuge into reality."_

“_Surely you are quite mad, Master?"_

“_Mad, I am not. For I intend to provide thee with the necessary aid to construct our utopia."_

“_Impossible…"_

“_Quite the contrary. I have the means, thou hath the method. Together, we shall forge a new world in thine image."_

“_In… my image…?"_

“_Hath thou heard, in thy fathomless studies, of the Holy Grail?"_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah, the prologue is really short and it's only dialogue, but I feel like that was the most effective way to introduce it.
> 
> The story from here on out will periodically switch between third-person limited narration, and first-person from Scheherazade's perspective, in order to get a broader view of what's happening, including behind the scenes. I'll do my best to make note of where those switches happen so you don't get lost.


	2. A Pseudo-Singularity Appears!

Another briefing?

Gudako sighed, and ran her fingers through her fiery orange hair as she sat up at Mash’s summons. It felt like only yesterday that they had cleaned up the mess in Shinjuku, and already another of these anomalies was rearing its head?

“Senpai, I’ve brought you some omurice,” the soft-spoken Shielder sat down at the foot of the bed, with a full tray in her lap, “I knew you’d be hungry, and… you’ll probably need the breakfast for this briefing. Da Vinci was vague on the details, but it sounds like this mission is going to be unusual.”

“Thanks, Mashu,” she referred to her kouhai informally, and immediately reached for her spiro bottle and the glass of orange juice, “but isn’t every mission unusual? I mean…”

She popped the bottle open, now a year and a half into her therapy, with the nonchalance of a seasoned veteran, and shook one into her mouth. Even after coming out, she had never been too hung up on being “ladylike”. Gudako washed it down with approximately half the contents of the glass, and took the tray into her lap, “the whole notion of being restorers of humanity is pretty weird as is. It’d be more bizarre if it _wasn’t_ unusual, you know?”

“This is true, but, da Vinci-sama seemed especially concerned this time,” Mash smiled nervously, and stood up to get Gudako’s necessities together, just to try and make herself useful while she had time to spend with her senpai, “I guess we’ll just have to see what she says.”

* * *

“Master Gudako, you arrived just as I anticipated,” da Vinci greeted her in her usual upbeat - if slightly detached - manner, even in spite of the serious concerns she harbored, “I presume that Mash provided you with sufficient food, because this would be a lot to take on an empty stomach.”

Now much more awake than before, Gudako fidgeted with her combat suit, which in time she had grown more accustomed to wearing on missions due to its durability, but she still found it slightly itchy at times. Luckily, it was easy to be less formal around the acting director, and the young Master relaxed, resting one hand on the corresponding hip, “Well like, how bad is it this time? Mash said it’s supposedly extra weird.”

“She was correct, bu~ut perhaps under-exaggerating a bit!”

The Shielder spoke up, even if timidly, “That’s because you haven’t given me any further details yet…”

Leonardo simply continued her train of thought, “As I’m sure you can imagine, based on your prior missions, we have detected another anomaly, undoubtedly caused by the presence of a stray Demon Pillar.”

Gudako shifted her weight and folded her arms, “Okay…”

“What makes it unusual, even compared to other singularities we’ve encountered, is its location. Now, before I elaborate further… I am aware that your investigation of Shinjuku was fairly recent,” there was a hint of genuine concern in the Caster’s voice, “and I would not blame you if you were to decline so soon after cleaning up another Pseudo-Singularity.”

With a shrug, Gudako replied, “I already got up and dressed, at this point I may as well. Besides,” she smiled, “we’re here to save the world, right? C’mon, lay it on me - what kinda crazy bullshit we gotta take down this time?”

“Senpai…” Mash interjected, “are you sure?”

“Pfft, Mashu, don’t worry so much!” she slung an arm over her kouhai’s shoulder and gave a reassuring squeeze, speaking in a gentler and more caring tone, “I know you’re worried ‘cause you can’t come along, right?”

“Right… I want to be able to protect you, Senpai.”

“You’re so sweet, but right now, you have your health to worry about,” Gudako explained, “concentrate on that for now. Even staying here, you can help keep an eye on me and the other Servants, that still counts as keeping us safe.”

Mash contemplated this, “That’s true. Still, I wish I could go with you, like I used to.”

The Master patted her shoulder, and glanced back to da Vinci, “Lay it on me, what’s going on with this one?”

“We almost couldn’t believe it when we saw it,” Leonardo continued, “even after double- and triple-checking against our data on Shinjuku, it didn’t make sense. However, that simply means you must act in accordance, aberrant as it may be.”

She pulled up a map of Central Asia, with a blinking indicator showing the location, “This Pseudo-Singularity…”

Da Vinci stopped mid-sentence, and as conversations with her tended to go, she changed tangents, “Isn’t that a rather cumbersome term? It is my opinion, as a genius, that we should determine a more official name for these incidents. What they have in common is that they are germinated by errant Demon Pillars, ones that developed a consciousness each their own, and subsequently deserted the Temple of Time and scattered about time and space. In effect, they are remnants of the battle to restore Humanity’s origins.”

“Henceforth, our mission as Chaldea is to retrieve and eliminate these pillars, which it should go without saying, are not supposed to exist. Therefore,” da Vinci stood up straighter, and proclaimed, “this operation shall thus be referred to as Remnant Order, a cleanup of the collateral damage from the Grand Order.”

Gudako nodded, although she did find herself getting restless, “Remnant Order, got it.”

“Now that we’ve agreed on that,” the Caster’s iconic smile appeared once more, “the Remnant in question has taken root in Central Asia, sometime around the year 2000, close to the present day. Nothing of note was occurring in the region at that time; however, here’s where things get interesting - the coordinates indicate that this Remnant exists in a large subterranean hollow, large enough to house a small country, even.”

This was enough to really catch Gudako’s attention; she withdrew her arm from around her Servant, “Wait… what!? An entire country, underground?”

Da Vinci nodded, “Correct. We aren’t sure how or why it exists as such, and due to its unique location, we cannot observe it from afar to even corroborate the data. Which, naturally, is where you come in.”

Mash looked uneasy, “That should be impossible! If we’re wrong about that, won’t Senpai be trapped?”

“That may be a risk we have to take,” Leonardo’s lids fell heavy into a somber expression, “we should not underestimate the Remnants just because it’s a cleanup job - our missions still pose very real dangers, perhaps even more so.”

A brief pause ensued, and Gudako took a breath to settle her nerves and steel her resolve, “I’ll do it. Da Vinci, is there anything else I need to know before we prepare to Rayshift?”

“Unfortunately, that is the full extent of what we can infer from the data as it stands. Do you still wish to proceed, Master?”

“Yes.”

Caster’s smile returned, “Then I suppose that we have nothing more to discuss. Briefing dismissed, now, well, you know the procedure by now, of course. Proceed to the coffins and we will prepare you for Rayshifting.”

“Be careful, Senpai!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just in case people aren't clear, Gudako in this story is a trans girl, because as a trans person myself, I figured that she would offer an interesting perspective on the gender politics of Agartha.
> 
> Any gross comments in the vein of "tr*p", "tr*nny", "sh*male", etc. will be deleted. Don't be transphobic y'all, it's not that hard.


	3. The Illusionary World

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is also my first time writing Astolfo and d'Eon, so hopefully I was able to capture their personalities properly! Also, as before, mind the POV changes between the third person narration, and Scheherazade's first person!

“...?”

For Gudako, no matter how many times she had done this, the first Rayshift to a new singularity always left her a bit disoriented upon arrival. She patted herself down with her eyes still just half-open, confirming that no vital body parts were missing; then, her ears picked up the sound of the communication device coming in.

“Master Gudako,” da Vinci’s voice came through, and then the video feed followed, “it appears that you’ve arrived in good shape. Your surroundings don’t appear to be abnormal, and all of your parameters are proceeding as they should, however…!”

The shift in the acting director’s expression was subtle, but just enough to indicate that something wasn’t quite right; still, she inquired, “first, though, I must ask how you’re feeling, Master?”

For some reason, even compared to other Rayshifts, Gudako found her mind unusually clouded, as if struggling to make sense of her situation, “Erm… I suppose I’m okay…”

The faint sound of keystrokes could be heard on the other end, and da Vinci remarked, “That’s more vague than usual, for you, but moving on: what do you see around you?”  
  
“This landscape is very… lush, actually. Lots of greenery, grass, trees…”

A momentary pause followed, and the Caster verbalized her thoughts, “I suppose with as limited as our scope is, we have no reason to doubt you, but that description is nothing short of bizarre. This singularity registers as being several hundred meters below Earth’s surface - you shouldn’t even have sunlight reaching you, let alone be surrounded by vegetation!”

Gudako suddenly had vague doubts herself, wondering if by some chance she was hallucinating, delirious even… but she decided to lean down and touch the grass. Nothing about it felt unreal or unusual… or maybe that, in itself, was what made it strange?

Mash could still be seen in the feed, and she piped in, “An underground world… I can’t say I expected that, Senpai…”

“Frankly, it sounds rather like the description of the kingdom of Agartha,” da Vinci explained, “Many writers involved in esoterica and the occult have discussed it in detail. In fact, I propose that we take a bit of inspiration from them, and name this place, Agartha! What say you, Gudako?”

The young Master pondered on it, then nodded with a small smile of affirmation, “No objections here! Though now that you mention it, wasn’t Blavatsky one of those writers? I figure she would have been first in line to check this place out.”

A moment of awkward silence ensured, and Mash cleared her throat, “Well, Senpai, a-about that…”

Da Vinci’s smile faded slightly, and she answered, “That would make sense, and I’m certain she would have been overjoyed to come along, however, Helena - and a number of other Servants - seem to have disappeared from Chaldea.”

Stunned, Gudako inquired, “Disappeared… and, you said a number of others, who exactly is missing?”

“Records indicate that the missing Servants are Helena, Francis Drake, Fergus mac Róich, and Heracles. The most logical conclusion is that they were, for some reason, summoned to Agartha, although I cannot imagine what common thread they might share.”

It didn’t take much to fill in the blanks, “Alright, so I guess it’s safe to say that part of my mission is to find them and bring them back?”

“Correct again!”

“So then, I guess my next question is, who am I bringing along?”

Da VInci’s signature smile returned, “Glad you asked, Gudako! If my calculations are correct - which they always are - your accompanying servants should be arriving right about… now.”

“GERONIMOOOOOOO~!”

No sooner did Gudako look up to acknowledge this, than she found herself collapsed under the weight of two of her servants, whose capes both draped over her face. She couldn’t see who they were at first, but their voices quickly revealed their identities. Even through their argumentative French, Chevalier’s softer tone and the nasal quality of Astolfo’s speech were distinct.

The Rider, being their usual over-the-top self, soon sorted themselves out, and leapt up happily, striking an attempt at a gallant pose, “TA-DAAA! Astolfo here and at your service~☆”

Chevalier, by contrast, stood as calmly and elegantly as they could, taking a moment to offer their hand to help Gudako up before attending to themselves, “_Mes excuses_, Maîtresse Gudako! You are not injured, are you?”

“I’ve been worse,” she replied as she took d’Eon’s hand to regain her footing, “Thank you for asking though!”

Astolfo blinked, their smile turning to bewilderment, then sublimating into a dramatized sigh, “Aww, Master! I made such an awesome entrance too!”

“There they are! These two will be accompanying you on your mission through Agartha!” da Vinci beamed.

Gudako welcomed both of her knightly escorts, “Well, I’m glad you came along, d’Eon, Astolfo!”

“Of course, of course!” the Paladin’s mood picked right back up, “As a knight of Charlemagne I know lotsa stuff about adventuring!”

Chevalier finished brushing off their hat and clothes, then drew their rapier, “You have my honor as a Knight of the White Lily! As far as I am concerned, Maîtresse, you are a member of the French nobility and I shall protect you as such!”

Gudako glanced around once again, feeling slightly more confident about exploring with the Saber and Rider at either side of her, but she still found herself at a loss for where to go, “Uh… okay, so, what do you think we should do first?”

Before an answer could be given, a faint rumble of hooves grew louder, signaling the approach of multiple wild animals. A glance in the direction of the thunderous noise revealed a horde of demonic boars, not unlike others that Gudako had encountered in previous singularities. Still, such creatures were never to be underestimated in their ferocity.

“While I am intrigued to know more about the pocket nation,” da Vinci answered calmly, “it seems your more immediate concern is the stampede. However, I believe with those two at your side, you should be in good hands.”

“Astolfo,” she continued, “the lunar-entranced cavalryman with a mythical steed, and Chevalier d’Eon, indecipherable Knight of the White Lily!”

Each of them readied their battle stances accordingly, with the acting director’s final comment leading them into combat, “Although your behavior could not be more different from each other, you are at heart very similar individuals, even if you cannot see it from your vantage point!”

* * *

...I know not what sort of immensely powerful sorcerer my Master, Phenex, is, but despite the voice he displayed when I was first summoned, he was in no sense a child.

This world we have created together was, in process, not wholly dissimilar to the conception of a child: our bodies, minds, words, souls twining and converging as one to breathe new life. By all accounts, I suppose we approach a sort of unified bliss, he seems at times less a Master and more of a lover… at least, that’s what I liked to believe.

After a while, Phenex had almost ceased to address me as “Servant” or “Caster”, and instead by my name, or as “My Queen”, “Sultana”, or even as “Beloved”.

It was hard to say no to him, his poetic turn of phrase and his encroaching caresses…

“...?”

Call it a woman’s intuition, or perhaps because I was so intimately involved in creating my underground utopia… but I sensed the arrival of some… unexpected elements. Rather at an inconvenient time, but I felt that this merited my attention more than Phenex’s kisses at that moment.

“Master… it seems that there are some unusual new presences in the plains…”

“Dear Scheherazade,” his voice was as melodic as ever, “new humans arrive from the surface as a matter of everyday occurrence. Thou need not concern thyself…”

Though it pained me to pull away from such affections, I could not contain my nagging conscience, and stood from the bed. I conjured my usual orb, through which I could view any point in space within our created world, and…

“It seems that I was correct, Master Phenex,” a young woman with blazing red hair, alongside two Servants of indeterminate gender, appeared within the lens, and all appeared to be readying for battle, “this new arrival appears to be a Master like yourself. I do not recognize her Servants, though I presume at least one is a Saber.”

I could hear the miffed edge in Phenex’s resigned sigh, though he tried to disguise it as he humored me, “Dost thou believe that trio will pose a serious threat? I have doubts that they will be of any concern.”

Perhaps he was trying to reassure me?

“You may be right… but I also don’t know if we should leave them be. What could they want…?”

* * *

“Yahoo!”

Astolfo leapt into the air, celebrating their victory as the final boar collapsed from its wounds, leaving the rest to scatter, “That’ll show ‘em to mess with us, huh Master?”

“You both did excellently,” Gudako praised cautiously, “though I doubt they’re the worst of our worries.”

Chevalier sheathed their rapier, “Maîtresse Gudako is right. Though Astolfo’s disruption of their formation, and my defensive maneuvers won us victory this time… we are rather sorely lacking in destructive power.”

“Hippo is pretty destructive!” the pink Rider attempted to defend their mount, but their expression hinted at slight sheepishness.

D’Eon cleared their throat, “As I was saying, the Hippogriff, it is more bark than bite. Perhaps we should have had a third Servant accompany us, but…”

The White Lily pondered aloud, “I do not imagine that Her Majesty Marie Antoinette would wish to dirty her hands as such, nor Amadeus… Monsieur Sanson perhaps, but he is more suited to confrontations with humans, not beasts…”

*beep! beep!*

Gudako heard the communication line open up again, and da Vinci appeared on the video feed; the acting director interjected, “If I may, while you plan your next move, could you tell me more about your surroundings, Master? Sights, sounds, any environmental details that may be relevant. Observing the video feed is, of course, still instrumental to our information gathering, but your impressions will also be very helpful.”

“Hm, okay, well…” Gudako looked around some more now that her head was clearer, trying to determine things she may have overlooked in her haze, “it looks like the ceiling of the place is several stories up, and made of stone. Um…” her eyes scanned closer to ground level, “as I said before, lots of plant life, like, grass, flowers, trees, all over the floor… kinda looks like the surface, really.”

She turned her attention outward to the horizon, “the topography of it seems to have everything from hills to forests, and rivers… huh, wow, there’s… a lot happening here, for someplace supposedly deep under the ground.”

Mash chimed in, “Everything you’re describing matches our initial evaluations, Senpai, but…”

Da Vinci continued where the Shielder trailed off, “Indeed. Besides how bizarre that topography is, your impressions don’t quite make sense either. By the sound of it, Agartha is more of a mosaic than a single, unified landmass. Such a variety of features and environs would not normally combine in that way, almost as though several authors collaborated to write a single anthology.”

“Really?” Astolfo inquired, though this seemed more of a reflexive question than one meant to be answered, “Eh, I dunno, I’ve been on lotsa adventures, and there’s def all kinds of weird stuff on the surface, too!”

D’Eon replied, “Either way, we should be less concerned with the topography of this world and focus on our mission at hand. Most importantly, we are tasked with locating and eliminating the Demon God Pillar, no?”

“Correct, however, its signal became muddled once Master arrived,” Mash explained, “we’re still pretty sure it’s around there somewhere in Agartha, but we don’t know any more specific location details than that at the moment.”

“In other words,” da Vinci clarified, “our incoming data from Agartha, including the results of our topographical analysis, are blurry and undefined. As a matter of fact, it seems as though none of our data about Agartha is consistent - it frequently shifts to entirely different values, with no continuity whatsoever. However, what’s interesting is that the area in Master Gudako’s immediate vicinity seems perfectly stable.”

The more Gudako learned about this place, the more she realized that calling this Singularity “weird” really was a massive understatement, even by the standards of the other Singularities. She sort of felt foolish for being so skeptical, and to think she’d only just arrived…

“To conclude,” the acting director remarked, “the closer we are to the observation target - that is, you, Gudako - the more accurate our readings become, so our only choice is to have you continue to investigate on foot.”

“Do you think there are other people here, da Vinci?”

“We can’t be totally certain, given how unstable the readings are, but we do seem to be detecting artificial structures in the area. So, I wouldn’t rule out the possibility of people living here, if not entire civilizations.”

Mash added, “Senpai, perhaps you should head toward an area where we can get more reliable data, and set up our base of operations—”

Astolfo, now restless, interrupted, “Theeeen we should definitely go someplace with a lotta people! Trust me, I can get us there with my adventuring sense!” they added with a peppy flourish, “C’mon! My sense is telling me we should head… this way!”

Before Mash could stop them, the mad Paladin took off at a galloping pace. While Gudako was somewhat used to Astolfo’s unique brand of impulsiveness, Chevalier was less than impressed, and sighed as they put palm to face, followed closely by exasperated French muttering.

However, Astolfo returned nearly as quickly as they’d gone, and Gudako remarked, “Well, that was fast…”

“Masterrr!” they yelled, clearly distressed, “I swear I didn’t do anything this time! They were already headed this way when I saw them!!!”

Gudako blinked, still processing what had just happened, when d’Eon clarified, “We must not have defeated all of the wild beasts from earlier, Maîtresse. Although… it seems as if rather than running toward us, they are moreso running _away_ from something else that spooked them.”

* * *

Perhaps it is not polite to eavesdrop on the conversations of others, but both Master Phenex and I were glad that I had trusted my intuition and watched this strange group from afar. I watched out of my peripheral vision as his face, peering from over my shoulder, turned from mild amusement to stone-faced concern, worry even. I could sense a latent sort of fear surfacing by the way his grip on me tightened.

“Master… what troubles you so?”

“Scheherazade, my love…” his fingertips danced down my jaw as he turned me to look him in the eye, sending a shiver down my spine, and nearly broke my focus on the conjured lens, “doth thou recall what I told thee when we first met? That we are alike in fearing destruction at the whims of kings?”

“Yes, of course, Master… I could never forget such a confession…”

His other hand swept over my open palm, taking the orb as it passed, and held it up to eye level parallel to our shared gaze, “This Master, she hath been sent but the same king who wished me dead. I am being pursued with the ends being my destruction, and doth thou understand what that entails, my beloved?”

I could feel my heart beating faster, harder, “That… means that they will kill you if they find you…”

“Not only this, but if they kill me, who is to say that they would also not kill thee for harboring a fugitive?”

He was right, but…

“Master, what then do you propose that we do? I cannot combat them as I am… and if they can detect your signal, it is only a matter of time before you are found.”

Phenex’s smile was every bit as enigmatic as he, and I confess that I was not prepared for his proposed solution. He placed the orb back into my hands, insistently even, and leaned in, “Thou underestimates thyself once again, O Sultana. A Servant’s duty is to protect their master, yes? With their whole being. After all, if the Master dies, the Servant no longer has an anchor to this world.”

“Of course…”

He interjects, swiftly cutting off my statement, “I already know how best thou can protect me: directly. Intimately. Almost as if we were… _one_.”

* * *

With the remaining beasts repelled or defeated, Gudako, Astolfo, and Chevalier regrouped and put their heads together.

“Okay, so, where did we leave off before Astolfo spotted the boars?” Gudako asked.

The Rider whined, “I told you it wasn’t my fault!”

D’Eon sighed, “You should not so wantonly obey every impulse, Astolfo!”

“It’s not an impulse, it’s my adventuring sense!”

Before her two servants could start bickering, Gudako placed herself between them, “Stop it. Fighting amongst ourselves won’t get us anywhere!”

Astolfo pouted, “...they started it.”

“I don’t care who started it!”

A moment of somewhat tense silence followed, and d’Eon spoke again, more composed and back to their usual elegance, “Maîtresse, I propose that we follow the tracks from whence those beasts came. Perhaps it will lead us to people. Hunters, maybe?”

“Hm, that would make sense,” Gudako nodded, “Astolfo, what say you?”

“Astolfo says… let’s goooo!”

This time, d’Eon and Gudako both caught the Paladin before they could dash on ahead again, and the Master tried to reason with them, “Please, calm down for a second and don’t rush in like that, okay? We gotta stick together.”

At least at first, this plea seemed to click in Astolfo’s head, but maybe five minutes into following the tracks, they perked up, and began pacing several steps ahead.

“Rider, please! Don’t get ahe—”

“No, no, Master, I see someone! My senses were getting all tingly so I ran ahead and look! Over there!”

“What are you… oh! That boy! I see him now!” Chevalier exclaimed, “And it seems that the beasts’ tracks continue past his location. The likelihood of that being a coincidence is quite low.”

The trio hurried over to the boulder by which the boy lay prone, and d’Eon knelt down to look closer, “he was likely caught up in their stampede, and retreated here for shelter.”

Astolfo chimed in, “Well, only one way to find out! Let’s wake him up!”

Without hesitation, the Paladin joined d’Eon in kneeling, and shook the unconscious boy’s shoulder, “Hel-lo~? Are you alive, mister?”

“Hnn…”

He stirred with a soft groan, but hadn’t quite gathered his strength to sit up and acknowledge them. Astolfo wondered out loud, “Ya think I should go get some water, Master? People usually wake up if ya splash ‘em!”

Gudako shook her head, “Maybe don’t do that.”

Astolfo gently pushed the boy as if to roll him on his side, and a moment of realization flashed across their face, “Wha!? I think I know this guy!”

“Master!” Mash’s voice rang out from the transponder, “We’re picking up a Servant reading! That boy is a Servant, but…! That Spirit Origin pattern…!”

The purple haired boy groaned again, and slowly propper himself up, blinking at the light, “Nnn… who are you guys?”


	4. A Celt by Any Other Name

Gudako and her Servants reached out to help the boy regain his footing, though he hesitated at first, even blushing faintly in the process. He couldn’t have been much older than 12 years old, if that, and yet he was already turning out to be quite muscular.

“Are you okay?” she asked, trying carefully to keep her voice from cracking.

Astolfo was right, this Servant did look vaguely familiar…

The youth gave himself a once-over, and brushed some of the dust off of his clothes, from chest and shoulders, down to his knees, “I… think I’m okay, thanks for asking.”

He looked to Gudako, glancing at Astolfo and d’Eon as he smiled faintly, “I can tell that you’re good people, just by the fact that you bothered to ask,” he had a faint accent, perhaps Irish…?

“I’m glad to have met you,” he added.

Chevalier spoke up, “In any case, we had originally intended to ask if you live down here, but… since you are a Servant, there would be no sense in doing so. Instead, if I may: how much do you know of this underground world?”

“Unfortunately, I don’t actually know much more than you do. I only know that I was summoned here, and that I’m a Servant… oh, wait…”

He frowned as he looked upward, as if to confirm something, “That would explain why I can’t see the sky, if you said this place was underground. But… huh, I still don’t really understand why I’d be summoned here, I’m just a fledgling.”

Astolfo asked, “A fledgling?”

“Yes,” the boy confirmed, seemingly disappointed in himself, “I was pretty much in over my head trying to take on all those demonic boars, that’s why you found me passed out like that. Though, I think those were the same type of boars that they say every Celtic warrior worth his salt should fight at least once in his life, so if that’s the case, well…” his smile returned, “I guess I can die with no regrets now.”

Purple hair, Celtic warrior…

“Senpai…” Mash hesitated, “this is hard to believe, but… that boy is…”

She paused, the words caught in her throat, as if even she doubted what she saw in front of her. Da Vinci stepped in to her aid, “If I may, Miss Kyrielight, let me take a look at the Spirit Origin pattern and —oh? _Oh!?_”

Even the acting director was surprised?

“da Vinci-chan, what is it? Who is he?” Gudako asked, although she had a slight inkling already.

“I can see why Mash is at a loss!”

The young warrior seemed puzzled, “Where is that voice coming from? Are you all druids?”

“Something to that effect, yes,” da Vinci replied, “we’re helping out from behind the scenes.”

He pondered this, and seemed to accept it, “Given that you were selfless and came to my aid, I believe that I can trust you. In fact, I feel as though we may have forged a bond before, from another version of me encountering you… maybe that is why I trust you wholeheartedly.”

“I’m sorry if this is sudden, but would you mind if I joined you in your journey?” he asked cautiously, “I know I have a long way to go before I become a full-fledged warrior, and I can’t promise that I’ll be of much help, but I won’t get in your way!”

Gudako smiled warmly, and welcomed his offer, “Of course! We wouldn’t want to leave you out here on your own!”

“Thank you! I suppose then, as a token of good faith, I will tell you my True Name,” he stood straighter, a look of determination on his face as he thumped his fist to his chest, “I am Fergus mac Róich, Red Branch Knight, and member of the Ulster royal family! I am honored to accompany you!”

“Little Fergus has joined the party!” Astolfo mimed a trumpet being blown, along with an imitation of celebratory fanfare (though the reaction of the two Sabers was mostly one of bewilderment).

With a chuckle, Gudako broke the silence, “Yes, we welcome you to our ragtag group! Don’t worry about Astolfo, they’re just more exuberant than most, you’ll get used to it!”

Fergus smiled warmly, “I appreciate it, all of you. If I may though, what is this other me like, the older me?”

“Brave, earnest, straightforward,” the Master spoke proudly of her Servant, “he’s a good-hearted man, a warrior who fights like a demon - your older self works hard and plays hard!”

“Really? Wow, then I guess I really need to train hard so I can become that strong!” he beamed, proud to learn that he was destined to become such a hero; though, his expression melted back into one of concern, “but if my older self was so great… why was I summoned like this? I’m still in training, so I’m not that useful in battle yet…”

Chevalier stepped in to try to boost his self-esteem, “You will be fine, Fergus! I am sure that you are still quite capable!”

“Thank you, erm…” the youth blushed faintly, “I know that I got Astolfo’s name, but I don’t think I know either yours or your Master’s names.”

The White LIly yielded to Gudako, “Well, I’m Gudako, and this is Chevalier d’Eon. They’re also a Saber, like your other self!”

Fergus nodded, “I’m glad to have met you all, as I said before.”

“Do you enjoy your training? You seem quite dedicated to it.”

“Of course! It’s uncomplicated, and I get to see the results of my hard work! Honestly, I’d train to be a warrior even if I wasn’t royalty, you know?”

Gudako tapped her cheek in thought, “Say, I’m curious… do the names ‘Medb’ or ‘Cú Chulainn’ ring any bells for you?”

“Hmm… those names feel familiar, but,” Fergus furrowed his brow, “I can’t picture their faces.”

Da Vinci’s voice came back in through the communication device, “Hard to believe though it may be, that is indeed the same Fergus mac Róich that you know! Whoever summoned him must have gone out of their way to do so, before he was changed to his younger self.”

Having decided that they’d sat quietly for long enough, Astolfo responded, “Ehh… that sounds complicated. I’ll leave all the hard thinkin’ to you, da Vinci! I wanna get back to adventuring, Master!”

Mash seemed inclined to cautiously agree, “It looks like the best way for you to find out what happened to Fergus and the others is to press forward, Senpai.”

“I almost feel like I have something to do with this abnormality, so if you’ll permit me, Master Gudako,” Fergus asked, “I want to help you investigate. I consider it my duty!”

Chevalier smiled, and inquired, “Well, have you seen any other people since you arrived? If so, that would greatly aid our investigation!”

He looked troubled as he answered, “Yes, there was a camp of very tough-looking women warriors. They didn’t appear to be very friendly, though.”

“Where?”

Fergus pointed, “Actually, back in that direction, where all the boars came from.”

“I see, thank you,” d’Eon nodded, and turned to Gudako, “that would seem to settle it, Maîtresse - we shall set forth and follow the beasts’ tracks.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A bit shorter than the last, but I figured a chapter break would be the best way to transition. Hopefully FerLily is coming across well without being exaggerated.


	5. Welcome to Amazon Prime!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is where I'm really gonna have to start rewriting, because the Amazons are where things began to get gross with the implied r*pe. That said, I intend to keep Rider largely the same, but Penth had a major tweak done that fits in with the more overarching themes.

After what felt like a couple of kilometers worth of walking along the freshly-trodden grass (and sometimes narrowly avoiding the deepest footprints, or more undesirable things to accidentally step in), Astolfo whined, “Master! This woulda been a lot faster if we’d just taken Hippo!”

Chevalier scolded them, “Nonsense! A hippogriff would absolutely have attracted too much attention!”

Gudako was inclined to agree, “Yeah, I mean, I do appreciate you trying to ease the burden of our travel,” she tried to be diplomatic, not wanting to discourage Astolfo from contributing, “but d’Eon is right - we don’t know what sort of people these women are, and Hippo might have been too conspicuous in case they decided to attack.”

For a good portion of the time, Fergus had simply marched along quietly, holding his sword vigilantly despite his inexperience and shaky confidence; however, he spoke up in response to the current conversation, “They were definitely dangerous-looking. Look! The camp is just a few paces ahead!”

D’Eon crouched down, encouraging the rest of the party to do the same, “Maîtresse, Astolfo, Fergus, I strongly suggest that we approach with caution. Perhaps it would be best to observe from a safe vantage point until we know what— **_Astolfo!_**”

The Rider had opted out of hiding, and instead was making for direct contact. They looked back with a confident smile, “I’m gonna go see for myself! No way they could attack if we show that we’re friendly! Here, I’ll show ya!”

They moved closer, to what appeared to be an entrance, and called out, “Heyyo! Could someone help us? We come in peace! I promise!”

“Astolfo!!!” Chevalier cried out, shocked, and attempted to run forth and pull them back to safety, “Are you _trying_ to get us killed!?”

“No! Why would I do that?”

Unfortunately, d’Eon did not have time to both chide Astolfo and drag them away before the women warriors began emerging from their tents. The Saber’s frustration crept through in their attempted whisper, which hissed through their gritted teeth, “Are you mad!? You have completely blown our cover!”

Gudako felt herself paralyzed, unsure of how to act in the tense silence that followed as two of the warriors stared down the pair of Servants. Chevalier’s gloved hand hovered on the handle of their sheathed rapier, trying to judge their next move.

“We… mean you no harm…?” Astolfo tried to add, but their voice trailed off, and they whispered to d’Eon, “don’t’cha think they’re starin’ at us pretty hard, Chevy?”

D’Eon grimaced, and glanced at Astolfo as if in disbelief, “Wh—!”

“Intruders!” a booming female voice erupted from one of the warrior women.

Gudako cursed under her breath as she emerged from behind the embankment, with Fergus in tow, and ran to join her two Servants. She watched as more of the women gathered, weapons at the ready.

“Amazons, prepare for battle! Drive out the invaders and kill them!”

Chevalier drew their sword, “What made you think this was a good idea, Astolfo!?”

“Haha… ha... “ the paladin laughed nervously, “oops…!”

Still angry at their foolishness, d’Eon shifted their focus, “To say nothing for that… _name_ you called me…! Maîtresse! Please get ready for combat, they are quite great in number! And protect Fergus!”

The Master glanced down at the Celt, who gripped his sword tightly, but a slight tremble could be seen in his wrists, “Do you think they can handle so many enemies, Master? I want to help, but… I’m sorry I’m so inexperienced!”

Gudako patted his shoulder reassuringly, even as she got into position to command her servants, “Fergus, it’s okay! Just do your best!”

He nodded, and held his weapon in a defensive formation, staying at Gudako’s side as the battle commenced.

* * *

The dust settled, and as the last of the women warriors in the camp fell to defeat, Gudako wiped her brow of the accumulated sweat while her three Servants caught their breath, and da Vinci’s voice came in from Chaldea, “Now that that’s over, Master, those warriors you just fought fit the description of Amazons.”

“Yeah, I noticed that as well, but like… we’ve fought Amazons before,” Gudako responded, “that’s nothing special.”

However, the look on the acting director’s face suggested that perhaps there was more to it than that, “You are partially correct, but by all accounts, this encounter made absolutely no sense! Amazons are from a completely different story, they have no business showing up in Agartha!”

In the meantime, Chevalier decided to begin investigating the camp on their own, keeping their rapier ready just in case any stragglers remained to ambush them. The tents themselves seemed quite spartan, save for a makeshift bedroll or two, alongside tools, weapons, and some clothing. Here and there were carts - probably human-powered, as there were no horses or other beasts of burden anywhere in sight - and a fire pit in the middle of the encampment.

“Hmm…” d’Eon pondered aloud, “it does appear to be a hunting camp, but…”

They glanced back, making sure that the Master had not left without them, then continued looking for clues.

Fergus remarked, “That was pretty impressive! You took down all those enemies with skill, rather than brute force… hmm…”

He seemed to absorb this information to process, and Mash explained, “Well, Master has fought Amazons before, as she said, but they are much more formidable in groups, so it’s easier if you can break them up into smaller sections. Divide and conquer, basically.”

“I noticed that!”

Astolfo raised their sword with a smile, “Fergus-kun! Since you did such a great job of defending Master,” they leaned in and whispered, “ya might wanna bow your head for a sec!”

Fergus looked puzzled, until Gudako clarified, “I think Astolfo is… knighting you? Though I thought that was more English practice…?”

Chevalier was just as puzzled, but decided to humor the Rider, “Do not worry, Astolfo will not harm you. It is simply ceremonial.”

Though he still appeared confused, Fergus bowed his head, and Astolfo tapped each of his shoulders with the flat of their sword, “From now on, by my authority as a Paladin of Charlemagne, I declare you full time defender of Master Gudako!”

Gudako gestured for Fergus to stand up straight again, and although she wasn’t sure that gesture was necessary, she appreciated Astolfo’s eagerness to bring Fergus into the fold.

“I suppose I should thank you for trusting me as such,” Fergus replied, “I will continue to give you my all!”

D’Eon cleared their throat and spoke up, “That aside, Maîtresse, I have finished my preliminary scouting about this camp, so that we might gather clues we could not hear from the Amazons’ mouths.”

“Let’s hear your report then!” Gudako nodded.

“As I suspected, it appears to be a hunting outpost, and the beasts we fought before were fleeing from it.”

Astolfo bounced on their heels, “Hmm… think they were huntin’ ‘em for food?”

“That does appear to be the case,” Chevalier agreed, “especially since we have not seen anything resembling a farm. These Amazons may be hunter-gatherers.”

Gudako considered this, “Anything else of note?”

The White Lily added, “Yes, it also appears that the prey was taken elsewhere before slaughter, as there was no sign of blood or carcasses, but, there were wagon tracks leading away from the camp. A logical conclusion is that this path leads toward a village or town.”

“Excellent observations, d’Eon!” da Vinci remarked, evoking a faint blush from the Saber, “If that is the case, you will probably be able to gather more information on the Demon Pillar, and the missing Servants, in a place where more people dwell.”

Astolfo perked up at the prospect, “Then what are we waiting for, Master? Let’s go!”

“Astolfo—!” Chevalier called after them, but as per usual, the irrational Paladin rushed ahead, with Fou in tow, and d’Eon sighed, “Please make sure you stay alert, at least…”

Mash tried to find some common ground, “Sometimes Astolfo’s initiative comes in handy, and d’Eon’s cautious nature helps keep it in check. It’s a good balance, I think…”

D’Eon shook their head, “I’d have an easier time keeping Astolfo ‘in check’ if they would simply stop and _listen_ once in a while!”

Once Gudako, d’Eon, and Fergus caught up with the pink Rider (at a jogging pace), they were able to resume contact with Chaldea, via Mash, “Senpai, why do you think those Amazons attacked you all so suddenly?”

“For one thing, they probably weren’t too keen on us barging into their camp without permission.”

“Well, yes, but they didn’t even stop to ask, or investigate!” there was worry in the Shielder’s voice, “I really hope there are other kinds of people here in Agartha!”

Gudako nodded, “I hope you’re right, but I feel like even as dangerous as they are, we should still find out what the Amazons want.”

“True. You seem to be getting close to their village, or maybe it’s a town?”

Chevalier decided to get a leg up on organizing the party, and whispered, “Okay, everyone, please follow my lead - we are heading into potentially hostile territory and must act accordingly. This is a reconnaissance mission, so our goal is simply to observe for the time being, _not_ to interfere,” they shot Astolfo a particularly serious look within the huddle.

“Alright, let’s stick together for now,” Gudako added, “strength in numbers, correct?”

“For the moment, yes, that is our best course of action, Maîtresse. Now, when we enter, we must stay hidden as much as possible while observing.”

It took a few tense moments of silence to determine the patrol paths of the guards, but eventually, they found an opening, and slipped by unnoticed. Once regrouped behind a relatively featureless building, they peered around the corner, crouched down so as to watch the movements within the town.

All the while, Gudako and the Servant trio puzzled over this place… something was _off_ about this town, and it wasn’t simply that it was full of Amazons.

“This would be easier if we could get closer,” d’Eon whispered breathlessly; even as an experienced spy, they appeared tense, “but looking like this, we would attract too much attention, especially as a group.”

Fergus finally said what it is they were missing, “Hey, there’s… there’s no men here. I haven’t seen a single one.”

A pause followed, and all four party members glanced at each other in awkward silence, wondering how such an obvious thing had been eluding them.

“Senpai, if those are in fact Amazons, they usually were all women, but that’s to say nothing of how they, well…” Mash tried to keep her voice down, and Gudako could see the deep blush forming on her face as she seemed to hope not to have to spell out the rest of her statement.

“You’re right, hmm…”

However, they didn’t get the chance to discuss it further before an Amazon’s voice could be heard behind them, “Intruders! Amazons, we’ve been infiltrated! Capture them before they get away!”

The group turned around with a gasp, but it wasn’t long before their escape routes were closed off by a swarm of armed warrior women, and the entire troupe closed in to surround them, points of their weapons out and ready.

D’Eon, Astolfo, and Fergus triangulated around Gudako, swords drawn and ready to defend the Master to the death.

“No… _no, no, no!_” Chevalier was beginning to panic, although they were holding it together remarkably well, all things considered, “Maîtresse, we are completely surrounded! This is the worst possible outcome for a covert mission!”

“We can do this,” Gudako tried to reassure them, even though she herself wasn’t completely sure of that.

For all their usual carefree behavior, Astolfo knew that this was a situation that called for seriousness, “That’s right, we’re Servants! They’re no match for us! Fergus, keep Master safe, we’ve got a tough fight ahead!”

The purple haired boy nodded, trying to steel himself as he wielded his sword in a defensive stance, “Aye!”

Just as swords and spears were about to clash, a distinct - and perhaps, relatively younger - female voice erupted from behind the wall of warriors, “HALT!”

Suddenly, every Amazon’s gaze turns toward the voice, and slowly, their formation parts to reveal… a teenage girl? Though she couldn’t have been any older than maybe sixteen, she commanded respect and authority. White hair, minimal armor, clawed gauntlets, and a fiery gaze; if looks could kill, her glare would have murdered them on the spot.

“What’s all this commotion about!?” she demanded to know.

Mash’s voice quivered with hesitance, “M-Master, we’re getting a Servant reading! I think it’s her…!”

“Your Majesty,” one of the Amazons reported, “we intercepted these scouts and—”

The girl cut her sentence off with a hand gesture, still staring daggers through the quartet in the middle, but specifically at Gudako, and approached slowly. Her voice was calmer in speaking to the Master of Chaldea, though no less assertive, “You. Who are you?”

“Gudako,” she tried to remain steadfast, and all three of her Servants tensed, ready for the worst.

“Hmph,” the white-haired Amazon replied, then… smiled? It was arguably even more unsettling than her glare, just because of how serene it seemed against this atmosphere, “I must applaud your candor. You have guts, walking into the jaws of death and facing your fate instead of running like a coward. But! Enough of that!”

Her expression shifted back to the deadly stare, “Who sent you!? Where did you come from? The water city of filth and indulgence? The vapid, gaudy city of lights to the north? Or perhaps you’re with those _dogs_ in the Resistance, yapping away and nipping at our heels?”

A pause followed, as if something occurred to the mysterious teenager, “I doubt a woman would aid the Resistance.”

Gudako furrowed her brow in confusion, “Resistance? What are you talking about?”

“**_ANSWER THE QUESTION!_**” the Servant brought forth her other hand, which held a chained weapon, ending in a thorned weight at least twice as large as her head, “**_YOU DARE REFUSE YOUR QUEEN!?_**”

The violence with which her demeanor changed caused all four of the party members to flinch in surprise. Gudako replied, “...I apologize, I…”

Astolfo leaned in to whisper to d’Eon, “Geez, that escalated quickly!”

“She seems rather young to be a queen, but her aura is certainly imposing enough,” Chevalier responded in kind, “but she is nothing like Queen Marie—”

“Silence!” the young queen shot her gaze at both of them, “Of course I look young. That’s the point.”

Another Amazon leans in and whispers in the girl’s ear, and as she speaks, the queen’s face grows more stern.

Finally, the Amazon is dismissed, and she holds the tips of her clawed gauntlet up in a threatening gesture, “Were you the ones that slaughtered our hunting camp!?”

“Yes, that was us,” Gudako figured she had nothing to lose by being honest.

“Impressive,” also not a reaction they expected her to have, “the transgressions of you and your companions are unforgivable, and should be punished with death. However, Gudako - your power and resolute strength are not to be scoffed at. No ordinary woman could have managed such a feat as that. So, we offer you one chance to spare your life.”

She stepped forward, and held her hand out as if in a welcoming gesture, “Join us, as our sister in arms. We will see to it that your strength is honed to its pinnacle, you would make an excellent Amazon. What say you?”

Gudako’s eyes widened, her heart fluttering at the simple fact that these fierce female warriors recognized her as a woman. She had to admit, the euphoria was tough to turn down, to ignore. The offer was tempting, but she glanced at her Servants, who watched Gudako expectantly.

“...if I were to accept…” the Master asked, “what, then, of my Servants? Would you allow them to live?”

The young woman’s calm smile returned for a moment, “They would be permitted to reside in your quarters, as your personal slaves.”

“_Slaves!?_” Astolfo cried out.

Gudako frowned; although she had made up her mind to reject regardless, she still had to know more about the intentions of the Amazons.

“It is the most merciful option,” the girl continued, “we cannot allow mere slaves to wander about freely in Amazon space, and your only alternative is death—”

“I refuse.”

The resulting silence was deafening, as all eyes turned to Gudako, who gathered her nerve and assorted herself, “Your respect is an honor, but I will not have them treated as lesser beings!”

“...so be it.”

She slung the heavy end of the weapon - which she wielded as if it were no more than a baseball - and all the other Amazons stepped back to open up the impromptu arena. Her grin turned ferocious, almost bloodthirsty even, and she stood proudly, “Then I shall kill you with my own hands. That would be your greatest - and _final_ \- honor!”

* * *

I took Master Phenex within my body to protect him, to hide his signal from these strange invaders…

His presence within me as such feels vastly different than when we remained two distinct entities. Perhaps due to the adjustment of having two souls in one vessel, my body tingles in strange ways, with no apparent reason or cause. One would think Phenex was a lifeform of another world entirely…

Was he, perhaps, a djinn?

He did seem to have some of the makings of one, and… really, one should not involve themselves with the djinn. Evil spirits, they are…

...but, I could not will myself to reject him. After all, it was only with his aid that I was able to have this utopia. Phenex, for all his mysterious ways, was nonetheless a generous Master, and who was I to deny his kindness?

I made sure to watch over these adventurers still, whenever I could. It was as if I simply couldn’t help my curiosity, even as they posed a direct threat to us. Whether Phenex was aware of this or not was unclear, as he appeared to mostly be active at night; we began to work and weave together while I was in a dream state.

During my waking hours, though… despite my better judgment, perhaps… I found myself having a hand in altering their course, usually, for the better.

Is this what it feels like to act as _deus ex machina_?

Sometimes, it simply took one unexpected element… and like pieces on a chessboard, I moved them...

* * *

“What on earth is that vicious weapon!?”

Chevalier remarks, panting and tense as they narrowly dodge the crushing impact of it smashing into the ground.

“Master! Master, can you hear me!?” Mash’s voice rings out, somehow cutting through the feverish sounds of battle, “I’ve determined that Servant is a Berserker!”

Fergus is barely able to brace against another bludgeon, his sword held high and taking the brunt of the blow, but still the force was enough to push him back by a few meters.

“No wonder she fights like that!” Astolfo responded as their own sword got parried by the Berserker’s clawed gauntlet.

She leaps up, spinning the deadly steel burr in a wild circle before crashing down but a breath from where Gudako had been standing - had Fergus not pushed the Master back - and sent gravel and debris flying in the process. The mysterious Servant barely showed any signs of being winded, and her wolfish expression returned.

“You should be proud to have survived this long against an Amazon queen. You would have made a fine addition to our ranks.”

D’Eon counters, “We would sooner die! Living as a slave is a fate far worse than death!”

The transponder beeps again, and this time it’s da Vinci on the other end, “Master, you are strongly advised to get out of there and retreat while you still can!”

Astolfo protests, “But how!? There’s foot soldiers everywhere!”

“And more coming!” d’Eon adds.

Gudako glanced around, seeing that still more Amazons were showing up by the second. THis situation was looking worse and worse if they couldn’t get away.

“You have no chance against us!” the Berserker cried out, “Surrender, or—”

“Your Majesty!”

The queen grit her teeth in irritation, still poised to strike again, “_What!?_ This had better be dire!”

A particularly-imposing woman - perhaps one of the higher-ranking warriors - announced, “Pardon our interruption. ‘He’ just appeared in the next town over, request to intercept ‘him’!”

At that, the Berserker seemed to flip an internal mental switch, one that even by Berserker standards was startling to behold; she immediately appeared to lose all interest in Gudako and her Servants, and began to rave near-incoherently.

“You! YOU! YOU WON’T GET AWAY THIS TIME!” she howled like a wild animal, as if she might start frothing at the mouth from pure fury and hatred, “**I’LL KILL YOU! I’LL KILL YOU I’LL KILL YOU _I’LL KILL YOU!!!_**”

Her screams were primal and unambiguous, “FORGET THESE VAGRANTS! I WILL KILL HIM! I WILL SPILL YOUR BLOOD AND MOUNT YOUR HEAD ON MY SPEAR!”

The woman took off in the direction of the next town, and the messenger called after her, “Your Majesty…!”

Realizing that her queen was out of earshot - and, perhaps, beyond reasoning with - the Amazon took command, “Half of you, go follow the Queen and support her in battle! Everyone else, apprehend and kill the intruders!”

Though the numbers of the foot soldiers surrounding them were cut significantly, it was still a formidable amount to try to get past. Even with the power of three Servants against otherwise ordinary humans, it was still proving to be a harrowing battle with Gudako herself beginning to get weary, and Astolfo, d’Eon, and Fergus all slowly running low on mana.

“Master, what should we do!?” Astolfo pleaded, “There’s still so many of ‘em!”

“I—”

No sooner did Gudako begin to speak up, than Chevalier pulled out a hidden trump card: a smoke bomb. They threw it down on the ground, and yelled, “Hold your breath, Maîtresse!”

Within seconds of impact, dense white smoke rapidly filled the immediate area, and the Amazons erupted in coughs as d’Eon and Astolfo attempted to corral both Gudako and Fergus through openings in the disoriented warriors’ ranks. Yet, it was almost as if the Amazons’ numbers were never-ending, until…

“Move in, men!”

The commotion picked back up, but now, there was a sudden influx of… men? Where before they had only seen women, a large group of men in mostly plainclothes swept on in, led by an older gentleman with a long silver beard and a cutlass in his hand.

When the imposing man notices the ragtag party emerging from the smoke, he smiles proudly, “I assume you are the ones who helped in thinning their numbers? Excellent work, I commend your efforts and perseverance! As thanks, we shall help you against them!”

Gudako stammered, still not quite with her bearings after such a daring escape, “Er… thank you… sir…?”

“Don’t give up!” he stated confidently, “You’ve come this far, we’ll back you up until safe passage is assured!”

With more backup on their side, though no less tired, the party used their remaining strength to finish the pushback against the Amazons. Once the women fell back to regroup, a few of the men in the new-coming faction were able to make their way into the households - temporarily abandoned by the owners - and rescue a group of barely-clothed male slaves, many of whom wore wrist or ankle cuffs to denote their low status.

“Senpai... who are these men?” Mash asked, once the proverbial and literal dust had settled.

The leader of the men answered in Gudako’s stead, “We’re simply a group fighting to right the wrongs of this place. I don’t know how long you have been here, but you might have noticed that it is wholly unfriendly to men.”

Gudako nodded, “Yeah, I mean… it does look like men in this town were kept as slaves?”

“Are you, by any chance, the Resistance that the Amazons had referred to?” the Shielder inquired further.

The man furrowed his brow, “We never _officially_ called ourselves that, but if that is what we are known as, so be it.”

“Do you think that you could tell us a little bit more about what’s going on here?” Gudako asked.

“I’d be glad to answer that once we’re out of Amazon territory. Come, we’ll return to our hideout,” he smiled again, “obviously I can’t _tell_ you where it is while we’re behind enemy lines, but my men and I will show you the way.”

Mash once again posed a question, “Accepted, but if I may, are you a Servant by any chance?”

“Yes, I am. You may call me Rider - I was somehow summoned here, but I can’t tell you my True Name.”

“That’s understandable, you’ve every right to be wary of us.”

He shook his head, “No, perhaps I should clarify: I literally _cannot_ tell you what it is, as I have no memory of my name or my life. Likewise, I cannot use my Noble Phantasm, either. All I know is that my class is Rider.”

A pause followed as he rubbed his chin in thought, “If you like, you may henceforth refer to me as Resistance Rider.”


	6. Everything is Just Peachy!

Initially, Gudako had thought that the Resistance having its hideout in a cave seemed cliché - even if it was in practice understandable - but she didn’t exactly expect it to open up at the end, much less to a sprawling valley full of trees, with a flowing stream running through it.

She blinked a few times at the light after squeezing through such a dark, narrow cavern, but her surprised expression sublimed into delight and awe, “Wow… this is your hideout? It’s so beautiful!”

Chevalier glanced around with a smile, “Indeed, and is that… peaches, that I smell?”

“And cherry blossoms! It’s like we walked into a springtime bubble!” Astolfo remarked giddily.

Da Vinci spoke up, “Oh, that sounds like a utopia found in Eastern legends. Specifically, from a 5th century Chinese story, _Record of the Peach Blossom_, by Tao Yuanming. It’s about a hunter who goes through a hole in a mountain, only to find an ethereal paradise on the other side.”

“Call it what you like,” Rider interjected, “it makes for an ideal base of operations. The valley is surrounded by rocky cliffs on all sides, and those are nigh-impossible to climb, so it’s undiscoverable from the outside,” he gestured around them to indicate, “That cave we just came through is the only way in or out. All in all, we were lucky to simply stumble upon it.”

He was right - the steep cliff faces seemed to be as tall as any skyscraper, even trying to look up to see the top threatened to strain one’s neck. That didn’t make the existence of this relatively natural fort seem any less bizarre, but given that very little of Agartha was making sense from a topographical point of view, Gudako figured it might be better to just accept the unusual as the norm down here.

“Rider!”

A boy’s voice rang out, and the group turned their attention in the direction from whence it came; it didn’t take long before the owner of said voice came running up.

“Welcome back! I heard the operation was a huge success!”

Rider furrowed his brow slightly, “Hm, I’d say that’s a bit of a stretch to call it a ‘great success’, but I suppose we did okay.”

The boy’s smile faded into vague puzzlement, “...but, you _did_ free all the men in that Amazon town, right? Isn’t that a success?”

“I thought I told you this already,” Rider swiftly corrected him, “It’s not about the battles, it’s about the war.”

“...”

“Modest victories are all well and good, but don’t let those get to your head. What matters is that we keep moving forward, one step at a time, until we reach our goal.”

With a thoughtful nod, the boy acknowledged this, “Yeah, I think I understand what you mean.”

Chevalier, who had been observing this exchange, commented, “It seems that you are quite admired by these men, and your advice sounded reasonable.”

Rider let out a short chuckle, “Even as an amnesiac, I’m simply doing what comes naturally. Youngsters like that have a special place in my heart, they really shine once they set their minds to do something.”

“However, I digress,” he gestured, “if you would accompany me to my shack, I will tell you everything I know about this place.”

Fergus inquired, “We’d be glad to, although, could we possibly trouble you for some food?” his stomach rumbled audibly, “it doesn’t have to be the best quality food, just a lot of it. Even with my stamina, if I get hungry, I eat everything in sight.”

“Help yourself to the peaches,” Rider indicated the orchards, “they grow here all the time, for whatever reason, so we never run out. Granted, a man gets sick and tired of eating nothing but peaches day in and day out, but at least the Resistance always has a steady supply of food.”

The young Celt dashed off with a quick thanks, and gathered as many peaches as he could carry, before rejoining the group in the shack to share what he’d collected.

Between Gudako, Mash, da Vinci, and occasional interjections by d’Eon and Astolfo, they explained their situation and their mission to Rider - in between their bites of peaches, of course - all the while he appeared to listen intently. With as far as Gudako had come on her journey to save humanity from elimination, there was quite a bit to cover, but they attempted to condense it into something relatively concise, without neglecting important details.

Rider rubbed his chin thoughtfully, letting his beard run absently through his fingers, before he repeated back the key concepts, “So, if I have all of this straight… you’re from someplace called Chaldea, at a far-flung end of the world, and you,” he pointed obliquely at the Master, “summon Heroic Spirits to fight alongside you, and Rayshift to various times and places in history, to restore the foundations of Mankind?”

“Sounds like you got it,” Gudako nodded.

“Good, now that I have a handle on your story, I think we can start filling in some more blanks.”

No matter how she tried to stop from scarfing down the luscious fruits, though, Gudako found herself going back for more, “Unrelated, but… these peaches are delicious, my apologies if my eating them so voraciously seems rude…”

Fergus, who had accumulated a small pyramid’s worth of pits at his feet by now, agreed, “They are! Sweet, juicy, delicious… I could eat these forever!”

With a mouthful of peach flesh - and even a bit of juice at the corners of their mouth - Astolfo chimed in, “Mmhmm! Solid 10/10 stars from Astolfo!”

D’Eon grimaced slightly, “Please refrain from talking with your mouth so full…”

“Heh… sorry, Chevy!”

Chevalier blushed at the nickname again, “You are still doing it!”

“Everyone, please!” Mash interjected, “I understand how you feel because you were hungry, and I admit I’m a little envious that I can’t have any for myself, but you must focus! We need to know what Rider has to say, too, so we’re all on the same page!”

Da Vinci seconded this, “Indeed, Rider, since you know where we’ve come from, could you fill us in on what intel you’ve gathered?”

“Gladly. Firstly, it should be noted that there’s no exit to the surface, in any direction,” Rider explained.

Mash asked, “If there isn’t an entrance, then the obvious question is: how did the Resistance members get down here? They look like they all came from different places, if not different eras entirely, so they can’t have grown up here.”

Rider pursed his lips, “Correct, they did not. Almost all of them have said the same thing: a hole opened up in the ground beneath them, and the next thing they knew, they were down here, almost as if something - or someone - was abducting them from the surface. If you can believe it… well, it really doesn’t matter if you do or not, but we’ve even seen men seemingly raining down from the sky.”

Despite recognizing the seriousness of the subject, Gudako couldn’t help but get a song stuck in her head about that exact mental image, and suppressing a laugh was difficult, but she managed to choke it back.

“There doesn’t seem to be any common factor in where they all came from, as you said,” he finished.

Da Vinci brainstormed with the given information, “Perhaps they fell into teleportation trap spells? Then, that leaves the question of why they were brought here in the first place.”

“Rider,” Mash asked, “what can you tell us about the Amazons?”

Rider thought for a moment, “I can’t be sure of the specifics, but they appear to be Servants like us, at least insofar as they were summoned here. Call it a hunch, I suppose.”

The acting director responded, “Then I guess the Amazons got here the same way, and then began to abduct men from the surface. What is the connection between all of these occurrences, though?”

All of a sudden, the boy from earlier ran into the shack, panting slightly, “Rider! I’m sorry to interrupt you and your guests… but the monsters have returned! We’ve been trying out best to hold them off, but there’s just too many! Can you help us?”

Gudako, shaken out of her peach-induced trance, blinked, then asked, “Monsters? But… Rider, didn’t you say this place was supposed to be safe?”

Rider frowned, “I only said it couldn’t be infiltrated from the ground level. Flying creatures sometimes drop in from above though. No matter, would you mind helping us do some pest control?”

“I’d be glad to help!” Fergus leaps at the opportunity, now apparently sated with his feast and full of energy again, “Even if I can’t do much, I still want to lend my strength as a warrior!”

Chevalier stood up, and drew their rapier, “Agreed, it is the least we can do as gratitude for saving us. Maîtresse, let us make haste!”

* * *

Once they had cleared the valley of wyverns, da Vinci had, in the meantime, contemplated on a detail that somewhat nagged at her, and she subsequently inquired, “Now that that’s done, Rider, in the interest of jogging your memory, let me ask: does the name ‘Leonardo da Vinci’ ring any bells?”

“Hmm, no, can’t say that it does,” he responded after his usual fidgeting with his beard.

“Ouch,” she seemed disappointed, “I know it’s the amnesia talking, but that is still something of a shock. Okay, then this might be a long shot, but how about the name ‘Michelangelo’?”

“Sorry, that one doesn’t sound familiar, either.”

Even the Caster seemed vaguely stumped, “Makes sense, you must have really lost your memory then. Your garb, fighting style, and equipment all suggest that you may have been my contemporary. It’s too bad that we never met in life.”

Rider groaned in mild frustration, “Believe me, I, more than anyone, wish that someone could just tell me who I am. Oh well, nothing I can do about that right now. Just have to take things one day at a time.”

“If by some chance you remember anything - even if you think it’s insignificant - please tell me,” da Vinci urged, “even a small detail might be helpful in looking you up in Chaldea’s databases.”

A sudden chill ran down Gudako’s spine. She quietly consulted with Mash over the communication device, “Mash… I’m getting the worst case of deja vu right now. A sketchy old man with facial hair and amnesia, that’s just a coincidence, right…?”

Mash furrowed her brow, “I understand how you feel, Senpai - I can’t help but notice the similarities to Shinjuku Archer, either. But Rider does have proper human allies that look up to him, and does a great job of leading them…”

“This is true…”

“Still...:” the Shielder grimaced, “I can’t quite shake this anxious feeling either. I feel like he, like, Archer, isn’t telling us the whole story…”

Da Vinci spoke up again, after the Master had her private talk, “Alright, another review time: Rider, you said there are three primary regions down in Agartha, correct?”

He confirmed, “Yes, but more specifically, each one has a central, major city, and each city is ruled by a different Servant. They are constantly at war with each other.”

“Servants? Then, my next question is,” da Vinci tapped her cheek, “do the names ‘Helena Blavatsky’ or ‘Francis Drake’ sound familiar? Those two are Servants that may have ended up there, perhaps one of them might be ruling one of those cities?”

Rider shook his head, “Unfortunately, I don’t know that either. All of the rulers keep their True Names hidden, so I can’t say for sure.”

“I see,” the Caster replied, “it figures it wouldn’t be that easy. I have to wonder if they’re actually keeping their names hidden, or if - like you - they forgot them entirely? That is, assuming they’re even in Agartha at all.”

She cleared her throat, and shifted the topic, “Now, you mentioned that there are three factions vying for control over Agartha?”

“Four, if you count the Resistance,” Rider added, “boundaries and territories aren’t clearly defined, due to the endless cycle of gaining and losing ground. That’s not even touching on all those people who live in the space between the borders.”

Gudako, having finally had her fill of peaches for the time being, asked, “So, if you can’t tell us the names of the ruling Servants, is there anything that you _do_ know for sure about them? Any of them?”

Rider met her gaze, “Certainly. You have already met one by now.”

“The Amazon queen?”

“Correct. We were fortunate to have just missed her, and frankly it’s a wonder that you survived that encounter. We call her the Berserker of El Dorado, the name of the Amazons’ golden capital city in the jungle; they’re one of the major powers involved in the struggle, and by far the most aggressive.”

D’Eon nodded, “We noticed that as well, none of these Amazons seemed willing to make truly peaceful negotiations. Even the queen wanted to take us as slaves, or rather, offered to have us be Gudako’s slaves.”

“She had offered to let me join their ranks,” Gudako clarified, “naturally, I refused.”

Astolfo, visibly a bit uncomfortable at the reminder, urged for more information, “And uh… what can ya tell us about the other two rulers? Anything?”

Mash corralled the conversation again, “If you would, we’d appreciate a full overview first, then we can narrow down to details as we go.”

“Next, we have the fortress city to the north,” Rider continued, “given that it’s brightly lit at all hours of the day, we colloquially refer to it as the Nightless City. Supposedly, it is ruled by a fearsome empress Servant, but I’ve never seen her.”

“That… almost sounds like Kabukicho, in Tokyo,” Mash noted.

Rider concluded, “Finally, there’s the City of Water, which is situated on the bank of the underground lake to the east. Reportedly, the ruler of that city is also a female Servant.”

Fergus absorbed this information thoughtfully, “All of these cities are governed by women, huh? They must all be quite formidable, if our encounter with the El Dorado Berserker is any indication.”

He looked to Gudako, as both a Master and as confidante, “...surely they must be unparalleled warriors, too? At least, that is how we as Celts tend to conduct our leadership…”

“Maybe,” Gudako nodded, noting that Fergus seemed to take seriously the notion of becoming a good king, just as much as he committed to his training, “but I’m not sure if physical strength is always the determining factor here.”

“I see…”

Da Vinci summed up the social structure aptly, “In any case, it’s clear that Agartha is dominated by women. Matriarchal societies aren’t unheard-of, but they do tend to be uncommon, so that makes this all the more unusual, and fascinating.”

“Your assessment is correct,” Rider replied, “the Amazons keep men as slaves, sequestered away except by the permission of their female owners and overlords. I can’t speak much on the Nightless City, but I don’t believe men have much freedom there either. Finally, well… you may wish to cover the young one’s ears for this.”

As Astolfo took up the task, Fergus asked in confusion, “Wait! Why are my ears covered? What’s wrong?”

Once that was done (much to the lad’s befuddlement), Rider continued in a slightly more hushed tone, “The men of the Water City are kept for… pleasure. Carnal pleasure, usually, but not exclusively.”

He gestured to Astolfo to release Fergus, then continued his train of thought, “We in the Resistance are fighting against the injustice of this system. These men in the cities have no true freedom. Frankly, nobody should be treated as lesser or inferior just because they’re born a certain way. That sort of world just isn’t right.”

Rider spoke up still more confidently, his voice and stance projecting the aura of an impassioned leader, “Even though I, knowing not my name or my Noble Phantasm, am quite powerless as a Servant… I consider that a good enough reason to fight. So, I ask you this: _what will you do next?_”

Gudako and the others couldn’t help but give a modest, but nonetheless sincere, round of applause at his speech, “That… was quite inspiring, Rider.”

“To answer you,” Mash’s voice came back in, “our goal here is to find the singularity that created this world - an anomaly of human history - and destroy the Demon God Pillar at the heart of it. All we know right now is that it’s somewhere in Agartha.”

The acting director added, “That’s why we’re searching it, inch-by-inch, with a fine-toothed comb, so to speak. We want to see if we can pick up some sort of unusual signal. With that said though, if this is anything like the previous Remnant mission, we can’t rule out the possibility that the pillar has assimilated itself into a Servant. Most likely, it’s one of the three rulers.”

Astolfo asked, with their head quirked slightly to the side, “Then, what’s the Resistance’s ultimate goal?”

“Obviously, we aim to defeat the three ruling Servants, and free the enslaved men in their cities,” Rider answered.

Chevalier seemed pleased by this response, “It appears that our goals align quite nicely, which is rather convenient for both of our parties!”

(Perhaps… even a little _too_ convenient…?)

Fergus nodded enthusiastically, “Agreed! Though I will say that the delicious peaches, and being able to train myself in the process, are big perks!”

Ah, good old Fergus, never one for guile or pretense.

“We’re few in number, but,” Astolfo raised their sword, perhaps a bit haphazardly, but their sincere enthusiasm was what made it non-threatening, “each of us is worth one hundred soldiers! You can count on us, yup yup!”

Resistance Rider raised his own sword to Astolfo’s, in a gesture of solidarity, “Thank you. Your aid is most appreciated, as all of the major powers greatly outnumber us. Up until this point, the most we’ve been able to manage is but small-scale guerilla warfare.”

“Hey, cool! You got them to join our cause, Rider?”

“Hm?” Rider cocked an eyebrow, and turned his head in the direction of the voice, which turned out to be the boy from earlier, “I see you’ve come back?”

The boy stopped in his tracks, “Ah! I wasn’t eavesdropping, I swear!”

“Don’t concern yourself with that. What brings you here?”

“I came to deliver a report to you: we have a dangerous pest invasion in the hideout! They’re swarming the peach trees!”

Rider’s lip twitched in mild irritation at the news, but he regained his composure, “We certainly can’t have that. Thank you for alerting me. Now, friends, are you ready to show us what you’re made of?”

“You betcha!” Astolfo perked up, “Master! Let’s help ‘em out and we can talk more later!”

* * *

Clever, they caught right on to Master Phenex’s plan. What exactly is a ‘Demon God Pillar’ though? if that is, in fact, what he was… well, he wasn’t very pillar-like that I could see.

However, perhaps, it wasn’t altogether shocking that he was a demon?

The expression goes, “Don’t look a gift horse in the mouth,” and given how much he’s done for me… for so little in exchange…

“Scheherazade, my dear…”

I could hear him within my head as he spoke, “It is true that thou must exercise greater caution, but thou mustn’t fret. This is still our best chance of survival.”

Was it truly? Especially if this is not the first time these mercenaries have had a demon take refuge within a Servant?

Granted… I had no more plausible ideas, either…

My attention returned to my observation orb, and I refocused it on the purple-haired child that had tagged along with the group, “I still can’t believe that this… youth… is the legendary Fergus mac Róich… he should have been a man, unquestionably…”

Who, though, is that Resistance leader? Obviously he, too, is a Servant, and he must be exceedingly charismatic to have won over those newcomers too.

More to the point, what is he really after?

Why does he wish so badly to undo this utopia?

“He understands not thy grand vision; nay, _our_ grand vision,” Phenex whispered again, “Is this not what thou wished for? A place where women are free? A place where women hold true power?”

“Of course,” I replied out loud, glad that we had this chamber to ourselves, to be left undisturbed, “but… I still do not understand why they are always at war with one another, these powerful women…”

Though I could not see him with my eyes, I could envision Phenex’s beguiling grin as he spoke, “It’s simply how humans are. They are warlike by nature, yes? ‘Tis but an unfortunate reality, my love.”

“...but… can we not stop that? Aren’t we the true, ultimate rulers of this place?”

The shift in his tone sent a chill down my spine, “...you doubt me?”

“...” the words caught in my throat like jagged shards of glass.

Phenex hummed, “Tell me, thou does not believe I would lie to thee, Scheherazade?”

Somewhere in my mind, I thought that as a demon, they do just that to humans, and yet, despite myself, I couldn’t, “N-no, but…”

“We have both seen much of humanity,” he elaborated, further freezing me in my mental tracks, “how much of history, how many of thine stories are woven with warfare and needless violence?”

He isn’t incorrect, but surely there must be more to humanity than that? Art, literature, music, love…

Finally, I found it in me to protest, “Constant war, brutality, violence… this does not sound like much of a paradise to me…”

“It is the closest we will get so long as humans reside within it. Do not be ungrateful, dear Caster.”

“...yes, my Lord.”

* * *

As the smoke clears from ridding the orchards of pests, Astolfo yawns and stretches, and the chain reaction causes Chevalier to get drowsy as well.

“We have certainly earned some rest from helping protect this place, but…” d’Eon suppressed another yawn, “I admit, between the warm light, and the sweet peach aroma in the air, it is getting hard to stay awake.”

Fergus nodded, and raised a suggestion, “I know! How about we take a leisurely walk?”

Astolfo ponders for a moment, tempted to take a nap, but decides to avoid any arguments from the much more disciplined White Lily knight, “OK! I guess we’ll be able to stay awake if we keep active!”

Chevalier smiled, “Much agreed, I too shall join you. Where do you want to go, Fergus?”

“Nowhere in particular, I just thought wandering for a bit would keep our blood flowing… hm?” he paused to listen, “do you hear that? What’s that sound?”

The trio of Servants - with Gudako in tow - jog to follow the source of the noise. It leads them to a small clearing in the grove, where Rider is instructing several of the Resistance men on how to fight. Fergus watches with rapt attention, clearly itching for action.

“Hey, I kinda wanna join them. I’m in the mood for some training, but…”

Astolfo cocked an eyebrow, then shrugged, “You could just ask ‘em, ya know…”

“Oh… you’re right!” Fergus found his resolve again quickly.

From what it looks like, Rider is taking the time to teach the men the art of swordplay, and was sparring with one as a demonstration. When they finish their match, he remarks, “Excellent. Your footwork has improved and your swings are more precise. You are well on your way to becoming a great swordsman.”

“Thank you, Rider!”

“Now, here’s the most important piece of advice,” the Servant’s expression became deadly serious, “forget everything I just praised you for.”

The man’s features fell into a look that was equal parts shock and bewilderment, “but… wait, why…?”

Rider pointed one finger in the man’s direction, “Because you should never let yourself believe that you’re a great swordsman. That’s how men get complacent, and then their overconfidence gets them killed. Don’t throw your life away on battles that you can’t win. Understand?”

“I think so, sir!”

Rider’s gaze skimmed over the rest of the gathered Resistance fighters, “Listen, all of you: you will eventually find yourselves outmatched, and will need to retreat accordingly.”

This statement clearly caused confusion and controversy to erupt in hushed whispers among the men, before one asked, “So does that mean it’s okay to run away?”

“Not simply okay, but necessary,” Rider corrected him, “though I don’t know why I know this, I will also reiterate that you should keep fighting without giving up.”

More murmurs simmered in the crowd, “Sir, isn’t that kind of a contradiction?”

“Not at all, in fact…” Rider turned his head toward the sound of another practice duel that had been going on in the grove; the boy from earlier stumbled backward and fell over, and Rider finished his segue statement as he strode over to the match, “boy, come here. You’re a perfect example of what I’m talking about.”

“Huh?” the boy responded, but was getting up, ready to charge at his opponent again, “I can’t right now! I gotta… beat him…!”

From afar, d’Eon and Astolfo had taken to observing these events unfold, and Astolfo commented, “Look! That guy is way bigger and stronger than that kid, but the kid just keeps getting up and trying to fight, no matter how much of a beating he takes!”

“Indeed,” Chevalier concurred, “his spirit is most admirable, but he became so focused on the match itself, that he has lost sight of everything else!”

Rider grabs the boy by the collar of his shirt just as he’s about to take up arms again, “Stop that!”

He then flicks the boy upside the forehead, then firms his tone to continue the lesson, “Listen to me, kid: look at your opponent. He’s bigger than you, he’s stronger than you, and he’s a better fighter than you. You haven’t made so much as a scratch on him. Do you really believe that you can beat him?”

The boy remained stubborn, “I just… can’t give up… I gotta keep trying!”

Rider shook his head, “That would only get you killed in a real match. At this juncture, that’s no longer a productive strategy, you’re just being bullheaded and foolish. It’s tantamount to giving up on life and by extension, any chance of victory. The line between bravery and foolishness is thin, yes, but it still exists. Keep that in mind.”

“No matter the situation, you should keep thinking of how you can win, and then act accordingly,” Rider stated, “_That_ is what it means to never give up.”

Soft utterances of understanding and agreement began to replace the doubtful ones, and he continued, “With that in mind, a retreat is not a loss. A draw is not a loss. Even a loss is not a loss. What matters is that you keep moving toward your goal, and so long as you do that, you are making progress.”

Fergus, who had been listening intently, seemed to consider this thoughtfully, “I can’t say that I agree with that ethos, but I can understand where he’s coming from. He’s not training them to be warriors, he’s turning them into soldiers.”

“Don’t lose when the odds are against you,” Rider declared, “and win when you get the chance!”

With that, the gathered crowd cheered, feeling emboldened by the Servant’s steadfast spirit and strategic thinking. Though the boy he’d made an example of also joined in the hurrah, he ended up stumbling forward, buckling from a pain he likely hadn’t noticed in his fervor for battle.

Rider glanced down to the limping youth, and remarked, “Looks like you hurt your ankle while you were practicing. Here,” he knelt down, allowing the boy to get up on his back, “I’ll give you a life so you don’t put any more strain on it. No sense in risking further injury, we need you to be in top shape!”

The Servants and Gudako watch as Rider carried the boy to a shack to rest, and the men disperse accordingly; Astolfo comments, “That Resistance Rider sure does ooze charisma, doesn’t he?”

“Quite so, he appears to be an old hand at this,” Chevalier replied, “maybe he was a military commander in life? But he does seem to know about many things besides combat…”

As the group continued their idle exploration of the hideout, Gudako noted the many industrious tasks being carried out by the Resistance members. It almost had a communal feel, with everyone pitching in their share. When they caught up to Rider, he had once again gathered a small crowd.

“Rider! We were trying to till the fields to plant crops, but there are just too many big rocks!” one man grieves.

Rider frowns briefly, then responds, “Dig up the rocks anyway, we can use them for ammunition!”

Another man tells him, “Sir! Our builders miscalculated, and now we don’t have enough material to put up a roof on the new building!”

“Not to worry,” Rider answered, “Make it into a tavern. That way, we can cook inside without worrying about smoke filling the room, and it will allow us to enjoy the scent of the peach blossoms as we drink!”

Still a third man begs, “Rider! The wind blew away our clean laundry into the mud, so we might not have anything to wear!”

“Hm, that’s a tough one,” the Servant contemplated for a moment, then a smile appeared on his face, and he displayed a sense of humor even among his seriousness, “Then today we shall have a Mr. Agartha contest! Everyone goes shirtless, and the winner shall receive a weeks’ worth of liquor to himself!”

The men looked at each other, some shrugged, and then multiple Resistance members summarily removed their shirts, with a few going to tell others of the impromptu competition. Fergus perked up at seeing this, and asked, “Does that mean it’s training time again? I can use my muscles at least, although peach liquor does sound good…”

Gudako made an observation, “Rider really is the ultimate positive thinker, isn’t he?”

“He deffo practices what he preaches!” Astolfo stretched, folding their arms behind their head, “Personally, I’m not really about that whole ‘blood, sweat, and tears’ thing, but I guess they gotta do that to get by.”

Chevalier added, “That’s because you are a free spirit, Astolfo, and they are fighting for their freedom. Rider encourages positive thinking, he has that certain… _Je ne sais quois_, that a leader needs, it’s quite admirable.”

Suddenly, a fourth man ran up to Rider, but he was obviously significantly more distressed than the previous three had been, “Sir! We need help!”

“Hm? What seems to be the concern?”

The man was panting, trying to simultaneously catch his breath and explain the situation, “Quarry… we were quarrying stone when… when the rocks began moving! I think we accidentally… woke up some sleeping monsters!”

Rider gritted his teeth in a frown, “That’s serious, let’s waste no time!”

D’Eon drew their rapier, “Excellent, I was growing weary of this walk anyhow. Time for us to step into action!”

“I’ll come too!” Fergus cried, wielding his sword mightily.

* * *

Following the eradication of the monsters, da Vinci came in on the communication device for the first time in hours, “Now then, we’ve had a chance to study the new information, I hope you all got a good rest in the meantime. Let’s discuss our next move— everyone, time for a strategy meeting!”

Gudako nodded, and saw that all of her Servants, along with Rider, gathered to listen. The acting director continued, “Rider, which city and ruler do you suggest that we prioritize first?”

Without hesitation, he replied, “The water city, for sure. There are a number of reasons why, of course, but we were planning to hit it next anyway. We’ve already set up a supply camp on the edge of the territory. Any objections?”

Gudako looked to Astolfo, then Chevalier, and Fergus, then back to Rider, “All in favor here!”

Astolfo nodded, “Yup, it makes sense, especially if you were already headed there to begin with!”

“Rider,” Mash’s voice came through, “if I may interject, the names ‘El Dorado’ and ‘Nightless City’ both sound vaguely familiar. Is there any chance that the water city also has such a name?”

“Did I not mention that before?” Rider raised an eyebrow, “Yes, it is known as the city of Ys, and it is built on the surface of a great lake.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh my god thank you for your patience!
> 
> October was an emotional wreck of a month for me, and then on top of that... ugh, I hated having to write so much about Resistance Rider, especially in a positive way. Hopefully it still turned out okay! Not sure when I'll get the next chapter out because I'll be moving in the middle of December, but I'll still be working on this!


	7. Drowning in Desire

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gudako and the party head east to Ys.
> 
> BLANKET CW/TW FOR ASSORTED FORMS OF SEXUAL HARASSMENT, NONCONSENSUAL TOUCHING, TRANSPHOBIC COMMENTS, CATCALLING, BODY HORROR(?).
> 
> Ys is a fucking shitshow.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Holy shit, okay, my apologies for the long wait on this next chapter! A lot happened IRL in the past three and a half months, on top of this just being the longest chapter so far.
> 
> I will say that this is where I'm starting to have to get creative with the re-writing, so I'm a bit less confident here. However, I'm trying to re-contextualize the perversity of Ys from seemingly random violence and wantonness, to a whole social structure. It seems to make more sense that way, to me anyway.

Despite - or perhaps because of - the seeming neverending onslaught of Amazons and wild fauna of Agartha, the Resistance camp was in relatively good spirits, and their infectious optimism bolstered by Rider’s can-do attitude made sure that the Chaldea team felt it as well. Although Gudako could not participate in the imbibing just yet, she dined on peaches prepared in nearly every conceivable way, and the “Mr. Agartha” contest aroused a mighty ruckus as various men posed, danced, and flexed their muscles to loud cheers and friendly heckling. All in all, it seemed to be an excellent morale booster and bonding activity for the Resistance.

Once the hullabaloo had petered out somewhat, the encampment collectively headed off to bed to prepare for the morning’s strategic expedition. Sleeping on a makeshift cot wasn’t the most comfortable experience, but the Servants took turns as lookout, tending to the fire to keep everyone warm. Besides, Gudako had definitely experienced far less favorable conditions for getting rest, so by comparison, this was nothing to worry about.

A breakfast of still more peaches awaited Gudako and her Servants, just as the artificial sunlight began to glow just as if it were dawn on the surface. Admittedly, some coffee would have been a godsend right about then, but they’d just have to make do.

Astolfo let out a long yawn as they stretched, and the faintest crack could be heard, “Ya know, I still can’t get over how weird this place is. We’re all this way underground but it’s full of forests and fields and lakes… oh well, I ain’t complaining! Better than lava and darkness and stuff like that!”

From the communication device, da Vinci checks in, “Good morning, all! Or, at least according to the local time in that region of Central Asia, it should be right around dawn, but that does raise an interesting question.”

Gudako nodded sleepily, “I dunno what time it is here, honestly… but it definitely looks and feels like it’s pretty early.”

“Hmm, at least your circadian rhythm does not seem to be affected. I wanted to ask if any sense of day and night exists down there at all?”

Rider answered in Gudako’s stead, “The moss that glows on the ceiling does grow dimmer or brighter much like the cycles of sunrise and sunset, in something resembling a 24 hour day on the surface.”

Da Vinci entered this information on the computer, as evidenced by the faint ticking of fingertips on a keyboard, “Interesting, _very_ interesting… it’s almost as if that subterranean world was designed specifically with humans in mind. After all, there is no reason why anything naturally living that far underground would be bound to the amount of light on the surface.”

Ever interested in tactics and strategy, d’Eon inquired, “Rider, if I may, for the sake of transparency, why did the Resistance select the city of Ys as their first point of attack?”

“It’s simple, really,” Rider responded, “a number of rivers run through Agartha, and all of them flow into the great eastern lake. One could sail upriver from the lake and get almost anywhere, which is exactly what the people of Ys have been doing.”

A grimace crossed Rider’s weathered face, “That’s how they’ve been doing all of their plundering and attacking. They’re a very unpredictable lot, so neutralizing them is a high priority right now.”

Astolfo made an ‘Aha!’ gesture, “Oh, I see! They’re kinda like pirates!”

“Not _like pirates_, they _are_ pirates.”

“So if we capture their city, it means we also take their boats and control the rivers, right?” Fergus nodded, “That sounds like a good strategy to me.”

Rider offered a single nod in return, “Quite. If we succeed in this operation, we will gain a significant advantage in this scuffle. We may be outnumbered by the other three powers, but we can try to outmaneuver them instead.”

Soon, the outpost camp starts to come into view, but Astolfo’s intuition kicks in, “Huh, wait a second… maybe it’s just me, but don’t somethin’ seem a little hinky to you? It just doesn’t feel right…”

D’Eon crept ahead, trying to remain as inconspicuous as possible while getting a closer look, but it only took them a moment to size up the situation. They returned with a report, “Maîtresse, Rider, I am sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but it appears that the camp is being raided.”

“Damn it,” Rider grumbled under his breath, gritting his teeth as he drew his sword, “Men, arm yourselves and prepare for a fight!”

Fergus, d’Eon, and Astolfo readied their swords, and Astolfo whispered, “Hey, see! I told ya my senses are super keen, Chevy!”

“Kh… I advise that you do not get cocky!” d’Eon retorted, “and now is not the time to be gloating regardless!”

The group neared the sacked camp, and caught some female voices talking amongst themselves as they rummaged through supplies, “Remember, ladies — take only whatcha want! I already got everything I liked!”

“Too bad there ain’t any people here!”

“Yeah, those are always the best spoils of plunder!”

When the Resistance approached, Rider declared, “Leave now, you ruffians, and maybe we’ll consider letting you go with your lives!”

Surprisingly, it didn’t appear that there were many of these pirate women in the camp, but as soon as they heard this, they turned their attention toward the ragtag band of rebels… and collectively burst into laughter.

“Hahaha… we were wonderin’ when we’d see a few bodies show up!” one cackled, “Hey girls, come get a look at ‘em!”

Another piped in, with more in tow, as they began closing in like hyenas, “Mhm… I call dibs on that one, he looks like he’s packin’ heat and I don’t mean no gun!”

“Wonder if I could take both of those two at the same time?”

“Are they men, or women, ya think?” a pirate asks, gesturing her head toward Astolfo and d’Eon.

“Pfft, don’t matter to me, I’ll have fun with ‘em either way!”

“No sense tryin’ to escape! Just come along with us and we’ll show ya a damn good time!”

Although the men of the Resistance were visibly shaken, Rider doubled down on his resolve, “Don’t let them rattle your nerves, men! We won’t be going down without a fight!”

“Ha!” the first - and closest - pirate laughed derisively, “Fine, if it’s a fight you want, then come at us! Show us what you’re made of, since you’re so tough!”

One of the men stepped forward, brandishing his sword just as he had been instructed… and within minutes, he was slaughtered, much to the shock of his comrades.

“Tch, pitiful,” the pirate spat as she nudged the bloodied corpse with her boot, “he woulda made a good one for the tavern.”

“We can just take the rest of ‘em, or do more of ya wanna try your luck?”

Another man rushed forward, and met the same gruesome fate, then another, and another, despite Rider insisting against such reckless action.

“How dare you!” Rider’s voice boomed, “Slaughtering my comrades before my eyes, you will pay dearly for your offense!”

Once more, one of the women - now splattered with the blood of several of the former Resistance members - turned her attention to Gudako’s two ambiguously-gendered Servants, “Concentrate on taking those two alive. They’ll fetch a higher price ‘cause ya can’t tell what parts they got ‘til ya get ‘em naked!”

A deeply disquieted look appears on Astolfo’s face, and their violet eyes unfocus, before they shake their head violently, “Hm, I don’t like the way they’re talkin’ about us, Chevy… buuuut I’m not gonna think about it! Nope! Just gonna tell that bad memory to skedaddle!”

With more than a hint of outrage masked in their tone, d’Eon cried out, “It matters not whether I am a man or a woman, and it is not your business, because you will not get what you want!”

“Last chance, hot stuff - come along willingly, or we’ll take ya by force!”

“Like the princess says, take what ya want, when ya want, and we damn sure want you lot.”

Mash’s voice chiming in from the transmitter offered a welcome respite, “Master, everyone, prepare to battle! They aren’t backing down at all!”

“You don’t have to tell me twice, missy,” Rider replied, “These scoundrels are beyond forgiveness, and they will pay with their lives!”

* * *

Once all of the renegade pirates had been defeated, Rider led the remaining Resistance soldiers to scout the area thoroughly, to find the weakness in their defenses that led to the loss of the camp. Finally, they returned, and filled in Gudako and her Servants on the damages.

“It appears that they ambushed the camp from a waterway we hadn’t discovered prior,” the aggravation in his voice manifested with equal clarity on his features, “of all the possible oversights…!”

Gudako paused for thought, “So… what should we do now?”

Rider let out a deep, frustrated sigh, “The survivors and the relief group can take care of what remains of the camp. The rest of us need to continue forward to Ys,” he turned his gaze toward the eastern horizon, but not at anything in particular, before addressing the group again, “at the very least, we have thinned out their numbers to some degree, and if we can take advantage of that, we can sneak into the city and eliminate their leader. I fully intend to avenge the men who gave their lives here.”

“Understood, Rider. Let’s get going then,” Gudako nodded, somber but not deterred.

Rider glanced back at the campsite and the corpses strewn about the ground, a look of vague regret crossing his face as he did so, “Right. You have the right attitude, young lady.”

“Sooo…” Astolfo rocked on their heels, “our destination is the same, we just don’t have a rest stop now? Got it, got it, just means we gotta be more careful from here on out!”

D’Eon added, “I propose that we continue to act with stealth in mind. I will use every skill at my disposal to help us infiltrate the city. We must stay sharp and alert!”

“If I may,” Fergus held up his hand to speak, “if I’m not mistaken, didn’t those women refer to the ruler of Ys as the pirate princess?”

Mash answered, “You’re right, they did. Good catch, Fergus!”

“Mash, doesn’t that sound like it could be describing Drake?” Gudako asked.

“I’m inclined to agree with you, Senpai — her name came to my mind as well,” the Shielder confirmed, but tenuously, “but I just can’t imagine her ruling over pirates that are this awful.”

Da Vinci interjected, “Right, but there’s no use lingering around and speculating. We just have to push forward, and we’ll find out the truth for ourselves when we meet this princess face to face.”

Gudako wholeheartedly agreed, “Exactly, Director. Come on, everyone, let’s go.”

While on the path to the water city, Gudako noticed another pensive expression on young Fergus’s face. Despite the common stereotypes about warriors, the boyish Celt appeared to be quite thoughtful and observant. She was beginning to look forward to what he had to say as he took in the happenings around them.

“Hey, Fergus!” she mentioned him by name to get his attention, and he looked up at her inquisitively, “You’ve been pretty quiet for a while, everything alright?”

His brow furrowed for just a moment, then he turned his attention back to her, “Master, I just… I’m having trouble imagining a whole nation ruled by a pirate princess. As far as I know, they’re pretty lawless, aren’t they?”

Gudako considered this, but then she remembered her experiences with Drake on the Golden Hind, in Okeanos, and corrected him, “You would think so, but I guess it’s more that pirates have a different sort of approach to the concept of authority… or at least, the ones that I met, did. They still abide by a set of rules and all, it’s just not usually codified like a country’s laws would be.”

Fergus absorbed this information as best he could, “I think I understand. I don’t really know how that works in practice… but, I can’t ignore it either, you know? Better to see it for myself, I guess it’s just another kind of training.”

“Right, good plan.”

Da Vinci hummed doubtfully, “That’s all well and good, Fergus, but you know you’re just going to end up—!”

Mash cut her off in a rare reversal of their usual roles, “Director, please! Don’t dash his hopes like that!”

“Huh? What was that?” he asked.

“Nothing, never mind that,” Mash attempted to do damage control, “that is a very forward-thinking and admirable attitude, Fergus!”

The smile returned to his face, and he was filled with resolve, “Thank you, Miss Mash!”

* * *

A dimly-lit bedchamber is heavy with the smell of sweat and sex, two people’s panting breaths echo off of the walls as they bask skin-to-skin in their afterglow.

“I must say,” a smoky female voice purrs, “you rather impressed me. Your technique, your stamina… you certainly have proven more… _satisfactory_, let’s say, than many of my other partners.”

Her male companion responds, “Really? Oh, well getting such praise from you, it’s an honor, and definitely a pleasure!”

“Hm, you should feel honored to have been so useful to me. I quite enjoyed having you… and I can tell that I was not your first.”

“Of course not, women on the surface loved the way I fucked them, so they came back for more,” he chuckled, slightly nervously, but trying to keep up his composure and braggadocio, “And of course, I’m always willing to give you another round like that if you wish, your Highness!”

She giggles, “Oh, you are amusing… but as I’ve already had you, obviously I no longer desire you.”

“Wh… what?”

“Oh, so you don’t know either?” she retained her sultry tone, “You aren’t useful to me anymore. Of course, because you pleased me, I shall let you live, and I’m sure you will be a delight for any of my maids… or several of them, if they choose!”

The woman laughs heartily as she snaps her fingers, and within moments, three of her “maids” file into the bedroom, “Girls, he’s yours to do with as you please.”

Her lewd smile remains as his face turns to a combination of shock, terror, and betrayal, and he objects, “No, please no! I’ll do anything, don’t hand me off to them!”

“I’ve already made up my mind,” she answered with relative indifference to his pleas, watching while the maids clambered up on him, taking him naked and struggling as if they were sharks in a feeding frenzy, “but, ah, how delightful your expression is! I shall treasure it for now, it is making me excited all over again…”

While she mused to herself, her male companion was dragged away, never for her to see again, and she hummed, “I wonder what sort of man I should take to bed with me next…?”

* * *

“You know, if I didn’t know any better,” Gudako whispered as she glanced around the cityscape of Ys, “I would say this place looks an awful lot like Venice, with all the canals and boats floating around.”

Chevalier d’Eon makes no effort to disguise their grimace, “While I am inclined to agree, Maîtresse… I would say that is where the similarities end. This entire city is full of trash, it has none of the charm of elegance of Venice! Look at it! It is disgusting!”

Resistance Rider, too, shows marked revulsion, “Not just garbage, it sounds like the whole place is a hotbed of sin. Shouting over there, the sounds of gambling, not to mention the smell,” his nose wrinkled according to his abject distaste, “cheap liquor, blood, I dare say fornication as well.”

Loud, explosive sounds could be heard from somewhere nearby, and his attention rapidly switched to look in the direction from whence the noise had come, “...and those were definitely gunshots. No two ways about that one.”

Gudako kicks away a piece of refuse at her feet, then glances at it again, “Hey, doesn’t some of this stuff look pretty new? Like I’m pretty sure a lot of it could be used again.”

“...you’re right,” d’Eon sighed at the realization, “I confess that during the time I spent among French nobility, I had grown somewhat numb to such wastefulness, but now…”

Astolfo shook their head, clicking their tongue in disapproval of the conditions of Ys, “Ugh, I can’t imagine anyone _except_ a buncha pirates would wanna live here! We better not get caught, if this is how they treat their stuff, I don’t wanna imagine how they treat people!”

“Before we go anywhere, how do we reach the so-called ‘pirate princess’?” Gudako asked the team.

Rider suggested, “It looks like the canals would be the fastest and most logical course of action. I think I could steer a gondola if we managed to get our hands on one.”

“No, that would unfortunately be too conspicuous,” d’Eon shook their head, “we can keep that in mind, but I strongly suggest that it only be a last resort. Instead, we should attempt to proceed on foot and sneak about carefully.”

The Master of Chaldea glanced around their scouting party, and remarked with some apprehension, “Are you sure about that, d’Eon? We have quite a few people in our group, that might still attract a lot of unwanted attention.

“Yes, it is without a doubt a risky move, Maîtresse, but I think that I can manage to lead us right. We must step lightly, maintain a low profile, and keep our wits sharp!”

“Yup yup! Heard ya loud and clear~☆” Astolfo held up a two-finger gesture.

However, the White Lily looked less than amused, “...good, because I was most especially addressing you.”

Astolfo’s smile hovered for a moment, then faded into one of sheepish humility, “...oh.”

“Okay, then if it’s alright with you, Master,” Mash offered, “we will refrain from making unnecessary transmissions so that you can stay covert. Be careful!”

As soon as Gudako nodded to approve the motion, the brief burst of static indicated the cutoff of the transmission. She then turned her attention back to d’Eon, who had already started to scope out the best possible thoroughfares from their starting position. The White Lily, ever resourceful and clearly well-prepared for just about anything, fished what looked like a pair of opera glasses - or perhaps small binoculars? - from a tiny satchel that they seemed to have stashed under their cape. In fact, Gudako couldn’t recall seeing it before, maybe they had just concealed it that masterfully?

The pink-haired paladin, ever inquisitive, crouched down next to d’Eon, and asked as they attempted to follow the line of sight, “So, uh… whatcha starin’ at?”

“_Quiet!_” d’Eon hissed more than whispered, “You are lucky that I can hold my composure!”

Astolfo pouted, and lowered their voice, “‘Kay but ya still didn’t answer my question!”

With a mildly frustrated grunt, d’Eon reported back, “I am afraid that the only way forward is past that tavern,” they gestured in the general direction of the establishment, but did not indicate exactly in order to not draw attention, “it looks as though it is completely open - both the doors and the windows - but we do not have much choice.”

As the group advances closer to the tavern, they notice that here and there are small wayward bands of drunken, stumbling female pirates, not unlike the ones that had laid waste to the Resistance outpost. Occasionally, they spot men in provocative clothing, loitering in alleys or around certain establishments; given how they would be ogled, and made presumably enticing poses toward the women who took an interest, it appeared as though they were offering sexual favors. D’Eon seemed by comparison unfazed by this, and Astolfo did their best to ignore it, but Fergus and Rider, and the few Resistance men that had followed, were visibly and sometimes audibly uncomfortable with it. Still, they were not in a position to express their distaste in words.

“Yer kinda feminine for a guy,” Gudako barely overheard one very intoxicated and loud pirate woman say to an unseen man, “but ya still got a dick, don't ya? Man enough for me I guess!”

Now it was her turn to be unsettled; a wave of self-consciousness and dysphoria washed over her, and if it hadn’t been for Astolfo’s concern, she might have started to dissociate.

“Master!” the paladin glanced back, and waved their hand in front of her face to get her attention; though their own expression resembled a bright-eyed smile, she could tell they were genuinely worried for her, “Master! Ya kinda zoned out there. Ya okay?”

Gudako snapped out of it, and shook her head to get back in the moment, “Yeah, I’m…” initially, she wanted to say that she was fine, but she definitely wasn’t, “I’ll tell you later, Astolfo. Thanks for asking.”

Astolfo seems to accept this answer, “‘Kay, well, then I’ll ask ya again later!”

Luckily, as they neared the tavern, the ruckus within grew almost deafening, to the point where it became difficult to communicate with others in the party. Even without directly peering into the doors and windows, it was obvious that the place was packed with patrons.

D’Eon was able to slip by without a problem, then Fergus, Astolfo, and Gudako, but before Rider and the Resistance could get past, one kicked and stumbled over a pile of trash, unable to stop himself from reflexively yelling an expletive in the process.

“Oi, I heard somethin’ outside!”

Before the party could make their escape, a trio of pirates emerged and took hold of two of the men in Rider’s troop, which made him none too happy.

“C’mere sugar!” one pirate taunted.

“There’s even more of ‘em out there!”

It seemed that they had no choice now but to infiltrate, much to d’Eon’s dismay, but Rider refused to leave the unfortunate captives behind, “Resistance stands and fights together!”

Gudako nodded, and although she kept Fergus close for his own sake, she moved in alongside Astolfo and d’Eon, after Rider led his remaining soldiers in for the raid. Unfortunately, it seemed that in this lawless city, none of them were safe from being seized and fawned over and even fondled. Gudako stayed close to the wall to avoid unwanted attention.

What the Master found most remarkable was not simply that these ruffians had no regard for consent or personal space; it was the fact that even the men who were assimilated into the debauchery, did little to nothing to stop nor object to the treatment. In fact, it seemed to be that a few even _aided_ in the capture, although it was largely to the benefit of the pirates and not themselves.

Time seemed to slow down as Gudako took in the scene, especially as concerned her Servants and comrades; Astolfo, pulled into the lap of one pirate who had wasted no time running her hand up their thigh; d’Eon, who got their rear end slapped and grabbed when they reached out to rescue Astolfo, and propositioned for drinks and a striptease with impunity; Rider, accosted by and visibly recoiling from three more women, one of which twirled his beard around her fingers in an overly-familiar way. She made haste to shield young Fergus’s eyes from the whole spectacle.

Finally, Rider shoved the women off of him in disgust, “Get your hands off of me, you heathens!”

One tumbled backward into a card table, unsettling the coins and chips as she fell, and at the same moment, d’Eon drew their rapier and warded off the pirate attempting to shove a drink in their face, “I refuse! I shall not have you soil my honor as a White Lily!”

Astolfo, by far, had it the worst of the three Servants — though visibly uncomfortable with being fondled as they were, their objections did not come with the same fervor as the rest, as though they were afraid of the consequences of fighting back too hard… as if… they had experienced it before.

“Oh, so ya wanna fight for it first, huh?” Another of the women - who had been fawning on Rider - grinned and readied her cutlass.

The third of them laughed and followed suit, “Fine by us! Good way to get the blood flowin’ for the really fun stuff!”

“Master!” Astolfo finally wriggled free, and cried out, “Looks like we don’t really got a choice! Ya ready to take ‘em out?”

More and more of the pirates geared up for a brawl, and Gudako nodded, “Let’s do it. We have to save those men and get you all out of here! Fergus, be careful not to get snatched up!”

* * *

The whole scuffle seems to happen in a bloody whirlwind, and the next thing the party knows, they stand among several slaughtered pirate women (and even a few men who had stepped in, inexplicably, to help the pirates’ side), and several stunned male captives, many of whom had stayed out of the way, some had attempted to fight back.

“I think that we have eliminated the pirates in here,” d’Eon remarked, panting slightly from the brawl, “but we should ensure that the rooms are clear.”

Rider, with his sword stained red and his gun unloaded, glanced around the room at the captive men, and immediately set to rallying them, “Go, get out of this wretched place while you can! Resistance! Your task is to lead these men back to our base, we can use all the bolstering to our numbers that we can get!”

For d’Eon, it was a relief to have the straggling Resistance members retreat, and they quickly returned to their mindset as a spy, and set to scouring one half of the tavern, with Astolfo put to the task of the other half.

“No one else seems to have noticed, though,” Astolfo shrugged, “we should be good to--”

“Hey, sounds like a hell of a party went down while I was takin’ a leak,” the sound of a lone pirate can be heard from a corner, “what’d I miss?”

“...just our luck, huh?” Astolfo couldn’t even muster a nervous laugh this time.

Gudako frowned, “You really have a knack for jinxing us, don’t you?”

“Holy shit! I’m gonna need backup for this!” the pirate exclaimed as she witnessed the damage, then ran to sound the alarm, “Invaders! We got enemy troops in the city!”

Rider grit his teeth, and commanded, “Make your retreat before more of ‘em come!”

Weaving in and out of narrow, rubbish-filled alleyways, avoiding pirates, streetwalkers, and the canals themselves, all while fleeing to safety, proved no easy task, but finally, Gudako and the rest of the now-smaller party had found a relatively out-of-the-way spot in the shadows to catch their breath.

Astolfo slumps against a wall for a moment, “Man, I really hope things die down soon… that was _cuh-razy_!”

Resistance Rider shook his head, still keeping a watchful eye for any possible pursuers around the corners, “Unlikely. Given that we were pulled into a den full of them, and slaughtered so many of their allies as is, I don’t imagine we’d be let go that easily.”

“True… hey, uh… speakin’ of pirates,” the Paladin scratched their head, and a faintly puzzled expression fell over their face, “did anything strike ya as, ya know… _odd_ about those women? Can’t put my finger on it, though...:”

Gudako answered, “You might be right, Astolfo, but we should probably worry about that later.”

“Hm… okay! If you insist, Master!”

After deciding that the coast was clear for the time being, Rider returned to the group, and gathered everyone in a small huddle to strategize, “Alright, what do we do now? We could make a tactical retreat and try again on a later date, but that would be much trickier to pull off a second time.”

D’Eon tapped their chin in thought, “Agreed, and additionally, I noticed that in our escape, we have arrived quite close to the largest mansion in the city. Look--!”

The knight gestured, and sure enough, the mansion was not that far away; one might argue it even resembled a small palace moreso than a mansion. What a stroke of luck… or was it?

“The only question is,” d’Eon continued, “how do we get to it? I am almost certain that it is where the leader of Ys lives, but…”

“You want to get to that mansion?”

A new voice startles them, and when the party turns to look in the direction from whence it came, they found the source to be a small girl, with her lavender hair in long twin tails, and seemingly dressed in rags.

She rocked on her heels, with a vaguely mischievous smile on her face, “I can show you how to get there, you know!”

“...a child?” d’Eon broke the awkward silence that ensued.

Astolfo shrugged, and their smile returned, “Guess we shouldn’t be too surprised to see a kid wanderin’ around like this. Given what we saw in that tavern, these pirates _are_ pretty randy!”

“That’s the first proper girl I’ve seen around this city,” Fergus pointed out, then attempted to approach her politely, “we really appreciate the offer, but we’re already a kinda big group, and more and we might stand out too much.”

The girl giggled, “Heehee, you’re funny! Then we could just play hide and seek on the way there… or--! I could just show you a secret path that leads you right to it!”

“...!!! You’re our hero!” Gudako exclaimed to the girl, flashing a bright smile as she pulled some candies out of her pocket, “Would you like some candy as a reward?”

She seemed to deliberate on this prospect, although the mysterious child retained a small hint of a smirk as she did so, “Well~ I’m not supposed to take candy from strangers… but I will anyway! Thanks!”

As their apparent savior took her pick of the candies in Gudako’s hand, d’Eon leaned in and asked, “Maîtresse… are you certain that we can trust her?”

“Eh,” Astolfo was unbothered as usual, “I say better too trusting than not enough! Besides, are we really gonna go beating up some kid just because we’re wary?”

Rider nodded, “Agreed, our enemies are the pirates, not children.”

“Trust me!” the Paladin winked and tapped their nose, “My intuition says it’s not a trap!”

D’Eon stared at them in exasperation, “...the last time we trusted your intuition, we nearly got killed by Amazons.”

“Water under the bridge! Anyway, she doesn’t have any hostile intent, let’s follow her!”

“...true, and she doesn’t seem to have weapons on her…” Fergus glanced at the girl with genuine concern in his eyes, “or… much of anything else, really.”

She gave him a puzzled look, momentarily pausing her enjoyment of the candy in her mouth, and he retracted his statement, “...never mind, I shouldn’t judge her situation by appearances alone. Let’s get moving.”

* * *

“...this way,” the girl gleefully led them through every step, “round this corner, and---!”

She pulled aside some branches of the thick hedges surrounding the mansion, and gestured to a gap between them, “right through this hole!”

The party appeared to hesitate somewhat, given how narrow the gap was, on top of needing to crawl through in order to properly fit… but it seemed that this was their only option. Gudako decided that as Master, perhaps she should take the initiative to lead, and she got down on all fours to make her way through. D’Eon was next, then Astolfo, Fergus, and finally Resistance Rider.

“Kh--! Curses, my beard got snagged!”

“I can’t get my butt through! Glad I didn’t have to strip off my armor!”

Once everyone - or seemingly everyone - had emerged from the crawlspace, d’Eon glanced about as a precaution, “Maybe this truly was a secret shortcut, I do not see anyone else around, Maîtresse.”

“This must be the rear garden,” Rider remarked as he dusted dirt and twigs off of his person, “I’m surprised that we managed to get in here undetected.”

Astolfo turns around quickly, but blinks rapidly in confusion as they flit about, as though searching for something… or in this case, someone, “Hey, where’d that girl go, anyway? I was gonna thank her…”

Fergus knelt down to peer through the gap, “Now that you mention it… I don’t see her on either side of this hole. Maybe she left once she was done? That was probably a smart move on her part.”

“I don’t like this,” d’Eon fretted, “it smells like a trap.”

“It does seem suspicious, especially since we didn’t see any other children like her anywhere in Ys,” Rider frowned, “I doubt that’s a coincidence.”

Astolfo cocked their head to the side, “...but if it was a trap, it shoulda spring by now, right? We got where we needed to be, and we’re all in one piece, so we must be good to go!”

“That’s true,” Fergus nodded cautiously, “we may as well proceed further in.”

Within the confines of the extravagant mansion, Gudako checked back in with Chaldea, giving the signal to carefully resume communications, as well as regaling a condensed version of events since transmissions were reduced. In particular, the subject of the mysterious girl caught Mash’s attention, “When you put it that way, Master, it does sound like there was something strange about that girl… but right now, we should worry about the ruler of Ys — there’s a signal coming from deeper inside the palace, and it’s very different from the others you’ve encountered.”

Sure enough, following the source of the signal brings them closer to a sultry, almost cooing voice in what can only be the throne room. Within, a pirate unlike any of the others lounges on a luxurious throne. At her feet is a man, barely clothed, collared, and seemingly being fawned over like a beloved pet. Her dark clothes, white hair, and yellow eyes make her resemble an Altered Servant, and hearing her voice more clearly makes it all ring familiar.

“You lot caused… quite an uproar in my town,” the woman glances up at them for a moment, her voice languid and purring.

Gudako finds herself taken aback, “...Drake!? _You’re_ the one ruling this place?”

“Do you know her?” Rider asked.

Mash chimed back in, “Drake is one of the Servants that was reported missing from Chaldea, so we couldn’t rule out the possibility of her being here. But… while her voice is the same, everything else is completely different!”

The tapping of keys can be faintly heard in the background of the transmission before it switches focus to the acting director, “I’ve analyzed her spirit origin. Without a doubt, that is Francis Drake — it matches Chaldea’s records.”

“Nonsense,” the pirate speaks up again, this time more firmly as her single good eye focuses on the party, “I don’t know who this ‘Drake’ is that you speak of. I am Dahut, the pirate princess, and the Rider of Ys.”

After a period of somewhat uncharacteristic silence, d’Eon seemed to put the pieces together, “...I should have known, of course it would be Dahut, given the name of Ys, but… what is happening here?”

Gudako looked to the Saber in white, “d’Eon, do you know something? If so, please fill us in!”

“Yes, forgive me,” they shook their head, as if recovering from a spell of dizziness, “the tale of Ys comes from the Brittany region of France, it is a very old legend indeed. Ys was a city built on the coast, and it was rife with sin and immorality, but by some act of God or the Devil - usually, because of Satan’s trickery - it was swallowed whole by the sea.”

“Sort of like Atlantis?”

“Somewhat. It may be more apropos to liken it to Sodom and Gomorrah… especially having seen it for ourselves, it is still a hotbed of debauchery, just as the legend says.”

Da Vinci’s voice came in via transmission, “Technically, the city of Ys was ruled by King Gradlon, and Dahut was his daughter, making her the princess. She set the example for the citizens of Ys by stealing and plundering whatever she wanted for herself, and thus formed the immoral backbone of their society.”

“You said it was just a legend though, correct?” Gudako inquired for clarification.

D’Eon affirmed, “Correct, Maîtresse - no record exists of either the city of Ys or a princess Dahut, so they cannot have been real.”

A clipped, almost amused laugh came from the woman on the throne, who had been listening idly as she caressed her boy toy, “Hm, hm, I am flattered that you know so much about me and my city, but I assure you, I am here, and I am real, just as Ys thrives and lives before your eyes. Of course, if you doubt me, you are welcome to touch me if you wish…”

“Er… we’ll pass…” Gudako visibly recoiled in mild disgust.

“...Well, one way or another, welcome to my city,” Dahut mused, her free hand gesturing as she spoke, “here, our absolute values are freedom and decadence. Whatever your heart desires, it shall be permitted within these walls. I do hope that you are enjoying your stay, and find many more ways to enjoy it further.”

Rider stepped forward, sword drawn in outrage, “There is nothing enjoyable about watching men degrade themselves, and be passed around like playthings by lusty women with no restraint!”

“When he puts it that way,” Gudako thinks to herself, “...a lot of women are treated that way by men on the surface, I’ve noticed…”

The princess giggles, “Ah, but having seen it for yourself, you understand, right? Love, lust, violence, liquor, gambling, money! Luxurious things and attractive people, all within one’s grasp! Nothing is stopping you from taking whatever you most desire! That is nothing short of paradise, the happiest city imaginable, no?”

Astolfo cries out in objection, “Your city is full of literal and metaphorical trash!”

Dahut stares for a hard moment, then her expression relaxes in realization, “I see what the problem is here — you have not yet learned our ethos. I shall explain: take what you want, and do not want what you take. Simply, do not get too attached to your possessions. Desire is the ultimate good, never deny that which you want for yourself.

Likewise,” she continued, “you need not hold onto things, or even people, out of habit. There will always be someone else who wants what you do not.”

“So that’s why so much of the garbage looks like it was barely used…” Fergus lamented.

Da Vinci made an observation, “I see, the concept of ownership in Ys is not about long-term gains, but momentary desire. It is remarkably and thoroughly primitive, and yet, a surprisingly complete social system. In theory, at least, it means that all of its citizens will have access to all resources, eventually.”

“Non, _non_, I object! This is a _terrible_ way to live!” d’Eon was adamant on this point, “It will only lead to chaos, _non_, it has already led to disorder! Have you not even seen what has become of your beloved city? How filthy and rotten it is? You do not need to take, to steal, to get what you want!”

“Ahahaha… you still don’t understand — this is the only way that everyone can be happy!” Dahut countered proudly, “Living a life guided by your every pleasurable impulse is a life of bliss; such is my utopia. Every single one of my citizens smiles, they do what they want, when they want, and be damned to anyone else’s opinion!”

Rider continued to vehemently deny her claims, “That happiness is a farce! Don’t you think also of the people that you take from? The ones you treat like toys? So many of these men, robbed of their dignity for someone else’s perverse whims?”

“Your first mistake is assuming that I care about such things. Why should I? As the daughter of King Gradlon, and therefore as the pirate princess of Ys, by that right,” she reverts to speaking in a nearly-disinterested tone, “I am entitled to take from those beneath me.”

Dahut glances back down at her pet, who is getting visibly distressed, but he seems too afraid to say anything; she caresses his jaw and coos, “Do not worry. Go to my bedchamber, I shall gladly have _you_ beneath me shortly.”

Obediently, the unnamed man leaves, and Dahut stands to confront the team, “As I was saying, they should feel honored to have been of use to me. After all, why else would they so beg and plead for me to keep them around, to use them over and over again? Ah, but of course, once I’ve had them, I no longer want them. If another of my ladies wants them for herself, she may take them instead. We only dispose of the ones that did not please us.

That holds true across all of Ys,” her cruel, smug smile remained plastered on her face, “Anyone should feel grateful to have been chosen by one of my citizens, as the citizens are my proxy. That is consideration enough, don’t you think?”

“Master, I am sure that is not Francis Drake,” Mash’s voice came through again, “Drake knew that the things she did were evil and wrong, but she also had the charisma and good cheer to not be burdened by it. This woman… is nothing like that. She feels no remorse because she doesn’t see the wrongness of her actions; she doesn’t acknowledge the consequences of her actions because she doesn’t believe there _are_ any! Dahut does evil out of habit, as a normal course of action — she and Drake are _not_ the same person!”

Rider grimaced, “I don’t know this name, Francis Drake; she must not have been my contemporary. Nevertheless, what do we do about her?”

“We have no choice but to defeat her,” Gudako took a defensive stance.

“Good, we agree then.”

Dahut shook her head, “No, no, it is not habit; if anything, I am constantly in a state of flux. I attain happiness by satiating my desires, and then when I have had my fill of that, I cast it away, and I seek happiness again through fulfilling my new desire.

When I take and use always, then everyone else’s happiness and desire shifts with me, like the tides or the waves of the ocean. How fitting for us people of the water!”

Her posture shifted, it was clear now that her intent was to appear sexually provocative, “It makes sense then, why you would be here: you desire this happiness for yourselves, and wish to take it from me. Since I never keep what I desire, I own only myself, and therefore, you must desire me.”

Astolfo muttered under their breath as an aside, “Uhh… yeah, not really… but it doesn’t seem like she’s inclined to listen!”

Dahut shifted again, even more deliberate about her attempts to arouse, “Come forth, show me with your body how much you desire to take me, and I shall show you my own. My bedroom awaits; however, know that I will discard you as soon as my desire has been fulfilled, like all of my previous lovers,” her smile grew lewder but the second, with every word spoken, “I will show you perfect, momentary happiness! This is where you shall know the purest expression of desire!”

“_Enough_!” Mash cried, “Senpai will not be sleeping with you, Dahut!”

Gudako backed up the Shielder’s impassioned statement, “We’re settling this right here, right now!”

“Hmm? Right now? Clothes on, standing up?” Dahut seems genuinely surprised for a moment, and her lustful grin returns, “My, I do admire your passion. That just makes me want you even more!”

Fergus looked all at once bewildered and uncomfortable, “I don’t know about my future self, but I’ve never encountered a woman like this, so cruel and relentlessly… shameless, even among Celtic warriors!”

“Just worry about protecting me as usual, Fergus!”

The pirate princess briefly displays a sneer, “Tch, get that child out of here. As for you, my little redhead, and the rest of your lackeys… hm, a shame, really. With just a bit of training and acclimation, you could have been a shining jewel, and perhaps even gotten to indulge in the pleasures we enjoy here in Ys. No matter, it seems you simply aren’t prepared to handle me and all I have to offer.

Although…” she seems to ponder for another moment, sizing up the adult members of the rather ragtag group as if inspecting cuts of meat, “there certainly are many of you. Even with my appetites, I could not possibly take all of you on at once. I suppose you could take the company of any of my maids in waiting if you wish, and I will have each of you in my bed when I tire of the last.”

“Ugh, let’s not…”

Astolfo cringes, “Why am I not surprised that she has maids, too? Ech, I don’t like how they’re looking at us, Master!”

D’Eon was long since prepared for a confrontation, “The sooner we take care of them, the better!”

* * *

“I didn’t expect so many, but look!” Astolfo exclaimed as they skewered another maid, “We’ve cut their numbers down a lot! There’s still a bunch of ‘em, but we just gotta keep fighting!”

Dahut tuts, “Tsk tsk… this is not going quite as expected. You all are too hasty… but I will enjoy you thoroughly when you finally submit. Ladies… let us bolster our ranks a bit, shall we?”

“Bolster their ranks…?” d’Eon asked in disbelief, “I thought we killed the majority of them already!”

“Didn’t I tell you that you were being impatient? Come now, girls…”

What proceeded to unfold before their eyes was, in a word, horrifying: the remaining pirate women writhed for a moment, then awful sounds of flesh rending resounded as they began to split off clones of themselves, multiplying more like bacteria than human beings.

Fergus screamed, “What just happened!?”

“There’s more of them!” Astolfo recoiled in turn.

“That… that is impossible! They just…” d’Eon found themself at a momentary loss for words, “created _copies_ of themselves!”

The Paladin looks even more disgusted, “Augh, gross! No wonder they all looked weirdly same-y! I thought I was just imagining things!”

“Tch, I knew there was something wrong with these pirates, besides how bawdy they are,” Rider reacts with equal revulsion.

Fergus reflexively covered his mouth, “Urk, I think I’m gonna be sick…”

Dahut was unbothered, “All we’re doing is matching your numbers. You could, of course, still have the genuine article. I could show you a truly mind-blowing experience, if you will simply come forth unto me… but do so soon, would you? I don’t enjoy when others play hard-to-get. It makes me desire you less.”

“Good, we’re not interested!”

“Grr…” this seemed to evoke anger from the princess, and she snarled, “I must have what I want, and I want it now! If I must throw away all else to get it, so be it!”

Rider countered, more impassioned than ever, “Fool! You take and discard endlessly, but you cannot sustain that lifestyle forever! Everything runs out eventually, because the resources of the world are finite! One day you will be left with nothing! You cannot fill the void in your soul with plunder and chasing your every whim and impulse! Your greed will consume you if you take and never give back to the world in which you live!”

“The world is unimportant,” Dahut scoffed, “I told you already that the only thing I care about is enjoying my every moment, and for my city and my people to be forever happy. Call me a demon if you wish, I am proud to rule the city of Ys.

I am a witch who was spurned by Saint Guénolé, and in spite of that, my citizens love me still! To them, I am their lord, and I shall gladly lead them to paradise on Earth!”

Now sing, my people! Sing your praises to me, for we shall bathe in ecstasy and revel in our debauchery! Let the bacchanal begin!”

At her word, the remaining pirate maidens begin to multiply at an alarming rate, rapidly splitting up into identical clones until they resemble a horde.

“Gross! Mega gross! They just keep dividing!” Rarely was Astolfo ever in this much distress, but one could hardly blame them, “how are we supposed to defeat them all now?”

Gudako quickly searched her memories of mythology, “It’s like the hydra, we have to kill them all before they multiply again!”

“Well said,” Resistance Rider’s sword still dripped with pirate blood, but his spirit remained undeterred, “As long as you still know what you have to do, you will always have a chance! Time to stand up and hold our ground!”

* * *

With the party emboldened and the pirate clones being slaughtered faster than they can generate more copies of themselves, Dahut begins to show signs of panic and desperation. Of course, the legion’s numbers are still daunting, but she still backs away, increasingly cornered and outmatched.

“How is this happening!? What’s wrong?” she screams as she watches the massacre unfold, “All I wanted was happiness, for my people and especially for myself! Surely there is nothing wrong with that!?

No, I can’t allow you to take me, or anyone else to take me, for that matter! That would be absurd! Impossible!”

Astolfo cut down two more clones, and pointed toward Dahut, “Damn it! She’s trying to escape while we’re being swamped by her thugs!”

“We need to stop her! Master, should I give chase?” Fergus readied his sword, determined to do whatever Gudako commanded of him.

D’Eon, however, objected, “_Non_! Fergus, Astolfo, you cannot chase her, there are too many of these pirates…”

“But she’s gonna get away if we don’t--- huh!?”

All around them, the ground and walls began to rumble, and the fighting momentarily comes to a halt as everyone in the room is left dumbstruck and panicked.

Gudako quickly scans their surroundings, “What was that!? Don’t tell me it was an earthquake?”

As Fou takes shelter under Gudako’s legs, a different pirate maid runs in, and heads not to fight, but to report to the princess, “Lady Dahut! We have an emergency!”

“Tell me! What the Hell is happening!?”

“The floodgates have been opened, Your Highness! The whole city is being flooded and the great lake is swallowing it up!”

Dahut’s eyes widen, and she grits her teeth, “Impossible! No one should be able to operate them except me, and the key is locked up safely in… wait.”

A look of horrifying realization falls on her face, “Did someone steal it while I was fighting? The only person who should know where that key is, besides me, is…”

* * *

...I could not tolerate it a moment longer. I could not tolerate the drunkenness, the lasciviousness…

She stole my clothes for herself and discarded them after she wore them, claimed that I would not miss them… and all I got in return were these… rags! Not even befitting of a courtesan, much less a queen.

I loathe these clothes. I despise these shoes, I am tired of being ogled and stared at as though I am a piece of meat, a prize to be claimed…

The walk to get out of Ys, to escape Dahut’s palace of corruption and sin, was long and arduous. Trying to sneak past the pirates that roamed the alleys… but with Master Phenex’s aid, I was able to take a rowboat under the cover of night, with my lantern to guide me upriver.

It took half a day’s journey to arrive at the Nightless City, where I docked my boat and begged for safe haven. In exchange, I would offer the Empress valuable information to gain the advantage against the water city.

I was escorted by veiled, brutish women, all carrying barbaric weapons that seemed more suited to sadism than to anything resembling a swift, merciful execution. They were terrifying, but I kept my head down, and they were bidden but the Empress to guard me and keep me safe.

Theoretically, I had nothing to fear from them, but in reality…

I kissed the floor before the Empress’s throne, to show that my intentions were peaceful.

“Hm, impressive,” the Empress told me, “you submitted without question, and you know how to flatter Us on top of it!

So you say that you have information that will help Us conquer the water city, hm?” she inquired, I could feel her cold, piercing gaze upon me, “This had better be good, you know the penalty for lying is harsh, and harsher still is the punishment for wasting Our time!”

“Yes, absolutely, Your Majesty. I believe that it will - as the expression goes - turn the tides in your favor. Quite literally, if I do say so myself…”

“Clever… We like your cunning. Do tell Us more…”

* * *

“...that Caster!!!”

A mysterious, and yet familiar, voice carves through the chaos and commands attention, “Kehehehe… of, Rider of Ys! You look like a right and utter fool right now!”

Dahut looks around, trying to find the source of this taunting, “What!? Who said that?”

The vagrant girl emerged from the shadows, her grin smug and devilish.

“It’s the girl from before!” Astolfo exclaimed.

Rider frowned, “Tch, I’d forgotten about her. Of course, now that we know how the pirates reproduce, it doesn’t make any sense why she’d be here. Who _are_ you!?”

“You!” the conviction in Dahut’s voice shows that she knows exactly who the stranger is, “You’re the Empress of the Nightless City! You’re no ordinary Assassin!”

The Empress laughs, “Ohohoho, so you at least recognize Our face, Pirate Princess? Even if you are otherwise no more than a slave to your own desires, you still are a step above the common rabble!”

Mash reacted in shock, “_That’s_ the girl you followed into the palace? Master, our analysis shows that she’s definitely a Servant!”

Astolfo snapped their fingers, “So if she’s an Assassin, that’s probably why we couldn’t tell when we met her! She’s got that Presence Concealment thingy!”

“It seems our plan to cut off transmissions during your infiltration ended up backfiring. Either way,” da Vinci advised, “be careful, Master Gudako — if what Dahut said is true, then that’s one of the three rulers controlling Agartha!”

Assassin muses, “So that’s your name, Gudako? Your assistance has been invaluable. While you and the other fools kept the little princess here busy, We were able to sneak in and get exactly what We wanted!

As a token of Our gratitude,” she tapped her cheek, “We shall overlook your transgression to Our person.”

“What transgress--- oh, right, the candy…”

“Indeed! But, because that candy was delicious, We will gladly accept another… assuming, of course, that you survive!”

The Empress turned back to Dahut, and taunted her some more, “What a relief! It brings Us such joy knowing you filthy pirates will be extinct, and this eyesore of a city will be wiped off the map, never to trouble Us again!”

Dahut hissed, “How did you find out where the key was kept!?”

“Oh, you already said so yourself!” Assassin smirked.

“...I knew it had to be her. So that’s where she went, to your domain?”

“Why else do you think one would leave this floating garbage heap you call a nation? Hmph, We’re almost embarrassed for you, being such a dullard, since you clearly possess no shame for yourself,” the Empress continued, “You and those Amazons are one and the same: attacking neighboring villages, engaging in crude violence day in and day out… it just proves what simpletons you really are!

Why waste such energy with full frontal assault, when it took only a single key to annihilate an enemy stronghold in one fell swoop?”

“Damn you, Assassin! And damn that Caster, too!”

Dahut bellows her final words just as a massive wall of water crashes into the throne room, swallowing her up. There’s no resistance on her part, no effort to swim; it’s as if she simply surrenders to her fate.

“Flash flood!” Astolfo yells, “We gotta evacuate, pronto!”

D’Eon found themself momentarily stunned by the demise of the pirate princess, “...the waves just swept Dahut away completely! Given her injuries, she is unlikely to survive.”

“How are we going to get out of here?” Fergus was frantic, trying to determine the best escape route.

“We’re just going to have to run for it!” it fell to Rider to take the initiative, “I’m sure as Hell not going down with this godforsaken city if I can help it! Follow me, I remember the way we came!”

Astolfo reached over, and took d’Eon by the hand, snapping them out of their daze. Once the White Lily came back to, they did blush slightly at the realization, but quickly moved to action and followed the Paladin’s lead.

Chaldea’s transmission came through with Mash at the helm, “I’ll help guide you to safety, Master! Navigator Mash Kyrielight at your service!”

Escaping the rapidly-flooding mansion was one matter, but in order to truly be out of the path of the encroaching lake, the party had to make it to higher ground, which required getting out of the sinking city entirely. Such was no easy task, given the panic of the populus of Ys, but thanks to the enhanced agility of Servants and Mash’s navigation, Gudako and the others managed to find their way to a hill overlooking the lake.

“That… was _way_ too close!” Astolfo panted as they caught their breath, “I mean, I’m soaking wet, but it beats drowning by a long shot!”

“Ehehehe~!”

_That giggle…!_

Gudako’s attention snapped to the girlish tittering, so distinct that it could only belong to the Empress, “Assassin? How did you get out so quickly? And completely dry?”

Assassin grinned mischievously, “Never you mind that, Gudako~ We can’t go giving away Our royal secrets!

Hm, but We tire of your name. We shall call you Hun Yang — ‘Lost Sheep’. You should feel honored that We chose something so perfectly fitting for you! After all, you let Us show you the way to the mansion and never suspected a thing! Silly little lamb, not even realizing her wool was being shorn away!”

The purple-haired Servant cleared her throat, and her smirk returned, “Regardless… allow Us to extend to you a formal invitation to Our Nightless City! It is quite dazzling, a shining beacon unrivaled and unmatched anywhere else on Earth! That is a promise~

In fact, We are not simply inviting you, We _demand_ that you come to pay Us a visit!” her eyes narrowed, and her expression and tone became more stern, “And you don’t _dare_ refuse an Empress! Until then, fare thee well, Hun Yang!”

With that, Assassin quickly turns around and vanishes in the increasingly dusky light. Rider mutters as she disappears, “Don’t you worry, we’ll take you up on your invitation, alright…”

All the while since finding safe haven upon the hill, Chevalier d’Eon could not help fixing their attention on the doomed city, “Ys has nearly sunken completely. It seems that the legend repeats itself.”

Fergus turns to follow their line of sight, “...I want to hope that the men we saw in the city managed to escape with their lives. I know that some left with the Resistance, but… it was all so sudden…”

Rider sighed, “At the very least, Ys no longer poses a threat, and no more men will be at the mercy of those pirates.”

“Indeed,” da Vinci chimed in via the communication device, “and we can confirm that the Rider of Ys was not the Demon God Pillar.”

Mash followed up the statement, “Right, Master pushed her to the brink of defeat. The previous patterns we’ve seen suggest that the Demon God Pillar would reveal its true nature if backed into a corner like that.

It’s still not clear why Dahut resembled Drake, but at least we have ruled out one of our candidates for the Pillar’s host.”

Gudako nodded decisively, “Guess all we can do is keep looking, and we’ll start by making our way to the Nightless City.”

“We may as well,” Rider stood back up, “that Assassin owes us a lot for using us like that.”

* * *

As “thanks” for telling the Empress about the location of the floodgate key, she appointed me as her royal adviser…

In truth, she only did so in order to enforce a close watch on me. She wished to ensure my loyalty, that I would not also flee the Nightless City.

...once again, I am a prisoner.


End file.
